Matt, how often do you load your subway card? why not just pay cash?

Subway is an exciting topic for me lately.
I probably go 2x per week, but just noticed I haven't been there for nine days.
I would pay cash, but pre-paying on the card gets a lot of discounts [basically, 45% off everything].
I'm assuming it's the same way in the USA:
Subway ALWAYS wanted the appearance or success.
Do you remember the $5 footlongs from 2008? They basically made the individual franchisees lose money, but increased Subway's gross sales, giving the appearance of success.
This made more people want to buy Subway restaurants, which sometimes end up cannibalizing themselves, but Subway gets something like 12% off the top of all sales.
And the company is still doing that, apparently. If I put $200 on the card [which I have done twice this year so far] they give me about $70 in free subs, then by using the app and other discounts, $200 = ~$350.
So...it worms out to everything you buy being about 45% off.
So...when all is said and done, I pay $5.70 USD per footlong sub...
...in Canada...
...in 2023...
$5 footlongs were losing Subway money in 2008 in the USA, so I can't see how these deals can be profitable for nearly that price today in Canada.
Here, you get a 6" sub for $1 every $25 you put on the card. But there are a lot of app deals and random sales that just pop up.
My suspicion is that Subway is almost fine with breaking even, or even LOSING money as long as their gross sales increase.
Sales increase = illusion of success = more owners = $15,000 franchise fee for Subway + something like 12% off the top from all sales, even if the owner is losing cash.
I also think Subway was sold, but the deal isn't finalized yet. So from what I can tell, the company just wants as many sales as possible.
There is NO WAY [IMO] that giving me basically $350 for pre-paying $200 could be profitable. But if everyone did that, they'd have more sales on paper, and that seems to be what the company wants right now.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2023/08/25/subway-company-sold-roark-capital-billions/70675156007/I'm training for strength now that summer is over, and one or two subs a week is not hurting that.
Short answer = pre-paying $200 on the card is basically getting me 45% off at Subway.

It's a pretty great deal, and eating "bro" can be very monotonous. Look at this deal they gave me out of nowhere, last time I went there.
