Restaurant.com gift cards

[rainman306]

I received a couple restaurant.com gift cards recently only to find out that:

1.  You can only use that at certain restaurants AND not many of the popular ones

AND

2.  You acutally have to make a minimum purcahse above and beyond the gift certificate amount, so you do actually have to end up spening money.

[jkhanson]

Thank you for your post about gift cards from Restaurant.com

I have never used them but I was considering them as gifts.  I looked for more information about the gift cards from Restaurant.com after reading your post here, rainman306.  I still think they would be good gifts as the recipient will be able to eat out at a nice place for a reduced cost whereas they might not be able to go out to eat without the gift card.

Here is some additional information:

Restaurant.com allows users to purchase discounted certificates that can be given as gifts or used by the purchaser. While they aren’t exactly gift certificates, Restaurant.com’s certificates allow users to save a great deal of money.

 The certificates pay for a portion of the full restaurant meal. Certificate holders must pay for portion of the meal, plus the tips, to use the certificate.

You can only use one certificate per visit.

Typically, if you have a $25 certificate, your meal must come to at least $35.  In addition, you need to pay the tip based on the entire meal.




Tips & Warnings

    Some restaurants don't allow use of the certificates on weekends and holidays. Some only allow you to use the certificates between certain hours. Be sure to read the certificate rules before purchase and review them before going to the restaurant.

[rainman306]

Yes, the terms are set up that you will have to spend some some out of pocket money, usually:

Minimum $15 on a $10 certificate, so $5+ out of pocket costs

or

minimum $35 on a $25 certificate, so $10+ out  of pocket costs

Also, a lot of the newer and popular restaurants do not partipate and their are also time and date restrictions.  The restaurants I saw particpating seemed to be less trendy, older or local restaurants.

I think their are some gift cards that can be used at multiple restaurants from Darden restaurants or yum brands.  Also, buffet sytle restaurnts seem to have every type of food.

[davidh121]

I think they're more beneficial in more metropolitan areas, but even then the restaurant variety is very limiting. In fact I had a couple of of restaurants fight me about the discount receipt when printing from the site as they said they broke off dealings with them.

[iimouto]

I've considered using them in the past, but they don't have enough options around my neighborhood and I don't feel like driving somewhere else just to use it. But if you get a good deal in your neighborhood, I think it's worth it.

Yeah, you have to pay a portion out of your own pocket, but you're still getting a deal because the certificates are usually really cheap.

[rainman306]

My cards were suppose to be a reward for online work, so I was hoping on a no cost meal -- i.e. no out of pocket costs at a trendy restaurant.

You get the plastic card and then you go to a website and enter a code and then print out paper certificates.  I did find one place I like but I will still likely have to pay $5+ dollars out of pocket each visit.

[tashamjoy]

This is the stupidest thing if I got one of these I would be so mad these things are so not worth the hassel i would rather have gift card to specific place or just cash this is just tooo much !!!!!

[cneimsn]

Yeah, if you can get a good deal in your neighborhood.  But it seems that most of the ones I see offered
are hardly ever in my area.  Probably would use them more if they were for restaurants in my area....

[southernhorizons]

I don't like restaurant.com. They don't have any participating restaurants near where I live, and even when I went on vacation there weren't many choices in that area either. I gave up trying to redeem my certificate.

[lmrbean]

The best deal would be at restaurants that you would go to normally without the restaurant.com gift card.  That way you are definitely saving money.  Otherwise it does have a lot of restrictions and you have to READ THE FINE PRINT!!

[dancer139]

i don't like it,,,,   it doesn't give me any places in my city.  the nearest one is almost 50 miles away !!!!!

[sherryinutah]

I no longer buy or give gift cards as Christmas gifts.  I'd rather deal with cash because, last year, I saw a friend try to use a Chili's gift card for a meal

after it was eaten and the card only had a few cents on it rather than $20.  It was embarrassing for him.