10 Things to Know About Restaurant.com
February 7th, 2007I started using Restaurant.com about a year ago, and have been generally pleased with the deals I’ve received. If you’ve never tried Restaurant.com and aren’t sure what it’s all about, here are some basics to get you started (See end of post for the current promotion)…
1. You buy a “dining certificate” to a local restaurant worth more than what you paid. The face value of certificates is usually $10 or $25. Through Restaurant.com, the price you pay is $3 for a $10 dining cert, and $10 for a $25.
2. You take the certificate with you and present it at the participating restaurant, who will deduct the certificate value from your bill.
3. Certificates are valid for one-time use, up to one year from purchase, and you can use one per month at the same restaurant. (Here are the basic terms and conditions for all certificates)
4. There is no shipping cost because you print the certificate at home.
5. Never pay full price (ie: don’t pay the list price of $3 for a $10 coupon). Very important! Restaurant.com almost always runs discount codes for 40-60% off. Hold out for 60% if you don’t need it immediately. You can either sign up for their email list to be notified of discount codes, or run a search for promotion codes. (See end of the post for more info on the current deal.)
6. Restrictions! Look for: good for lunch/dinner only, minimum purchase, minimum number of people, maximum number of people, tip added before discount, dine-in only, certain days of the week excluded/included. Make sure it’s still worth it to you after all the fine print is applied.
Meeting the standard minimum purchase restrictions with only 2 people can be challenging. The minimum total (before certificate is applied) is usually $15 for a $10 certificate and $35 or $40 total for a $25. It’s also up to the restaurant whether alcohol counts towards your total. At the Indian restaurant listed above, my husband and I would be bringing home a lot of leftovers to exceed the $40 minimum order.
7. If you refer a friend who buys a certificate, you receive a $10 credit.
This credit is only exchangeable at full value for a restaurant
certificate (ie: $10 credit translates into a $10 certificate)
8. You can give them as gifts, either for specific restaurants or just Restaurant.com gift certificates which the recipient redeems online to the restaurant of their choice. The certificates can be personalized before printing.
9. They’re good to keep in mind when traveling. Search by zip or zones for options close to where you’ll be staying. Some cities offer better possibilities than others.
10. For details about how I get the most out of my Restaurant.com shopping, read my Ultimate Restaurant.com Strategy.
Here’s the current deal: Take 50% off your total with code SWEETHEART (valid through 2/10), plus get a free $10 certificate for every purchase you make though 2/14 (promotion details). Not too shabby!
[...] and had microwave veggies and bread. (Cost: $7) Friday night we tried a restaurant that I found a Restaurant.com gift certificate for, and saved $10 on our bill (Cost for 2 entrees and 2 alcoholic beverages and tip: $32 + $.75 [...]