Rewards cards that offer bonus points or miles on dining purchases are a good way to earn on what is a frequent expense for many consumers. But if using one of the best dining cards is the only way you're maximizing your restaurant purchases, you're likely missing out on some easy points and miles.
To get the most from each purchase moving forward, here's what you should know so you can double-, triple- or even quadruple-dip on dining rewards and savings.
Start with a credit card that rewards dining
Before worrying about stacking rewards, you should ensure you're earning rewards on your dining purchases. Here's a look at some of the top cards for dining purchases:
- American Express® Gold Card: Earn 4 points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent for the rest of the year).
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 6 points per dollar spent at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services, on CitiNights purchases every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time; earn 3 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases any other time.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide.
- Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants.
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: Earn 3% cash back on dining.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees): Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
It's also worth checking whether your favorite cards have any dining statement credits that can save you money. Here are the credits available on some of our favorite cards:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Receive up to $150 in statement credits each January through June and July through December when you dine at restaurants that are part of the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program on OpenTable.
- American Express Gold Card: Receive up to $50 in semiannual statement credits for qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants (enrollment required), up to $10 in monthly statement credits at select merchants (enrollment required) and up to $7 in monthly Dunkin' statement credits (enrollment required).
- American Express Platinum Card®: Receive up to $100 in quarterly statement credits for eligible Resy purchases, including qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants and certain U.S. Tock purchases (enrollment required).
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Receive up to $25 in monthly statement credits for worldwide restaurant purchases.
My husband uses his American Express Platinum Card at an eligible restaurant at least once each quarter to use his Resy credit. Even though the Amex Platinum only earns 1 point per dollar spent at restaurants, the Resy credit provides enough value to justify the lower earning rate once a quarter.
Related: The credit card checklist that saves me hundreds on date nights
Earn additional rewards with loyalty programs
Many major restaurant chains have loyalty programs that let you earn extra rewards when dining at their locations. Favorites among the TPG staff include:
Plus, some restaurants participate in InKind or Blackbird. Many restaurants also offer eligible reservations through OpenTable, where logged-in members who have joined OpenTable Regulars can earn points by booking directly through OpenTable and completing a qualifying reservation.
Each of these programs works differently, and the exact stacking possibilities depend on how your reservation and payment are tracked. When the restaurant charges your card directly, you may be able to stack credit card rewards with restaurant or reservation rewards and savings from card-linked offers. However, if you pay for your meal through an app such as InKind or Blackbird, the credit card purchase may be coded as dining, but you won't earn restaurant-specific offers or linked-card earnings if these programs don't recognize the transaction.
Related: Which coffee loyalty program is best: Starbucks, Dunkin' or Dutch Bros?
Don't forget card-linked rewards programs
You can also earn additional rewards or save through card-linked programs, which reward you when you use a linked card at a participating restaurant.
Many programs, including Rove Dining, Bilt Neighborhood Dining and AAdvantage Dining, simply give you rewards when you use a linked card to pay your bill at a participating restaurant. Keep in mind that a card can generally be enrolled in only one Rewards Network-powered dining program at a time. Linking it to another program may automatically remove it from the first, so choose the program with the rewards you value most.
Some programs require an additional step before dining. Most SimplyMiles merchant offers must be activated in advance, and you generally need to claim Upside offers in the app before making your purchase.
Merchant offers through Amex, Chase, Citi and Capital One also require you to follow the offer's instructions before making a purchase. Depending on the program, that may mean adding the offer to a specific card or clicking through an online offer before completing the purchase.
Related: Which restaurant reservation platform offers the best rewards: OpenTable, DoorDash or Seated?
Consider stacking dining rewards for even more value
You can (and should) double-dip on dining rewards whenever possible. Doing so is often easy: Use a rewards card to earn credit card rewards and then pick one other earning or savings method, such as enrolling in an Amex Offer, making a reservation through OpenTable or using the restaurant's loyalty program.
Triple- and even quadruple-dipping may be possible when the restaurant participates in multiple programs and each transaction is tracked correctly. For example, at some restaurants, you might be able to:
- Earn your credit card's dining rewards.
- Trigger an issuer merchant offer you activated before dining.
- Earn OpenTable points by booking an eligible reservation directly through OpenTable and completing it.
- Earn through Bilt Neighborhood Dining or another card-linked dining program by paying the restaurant directly with an eligible linked card.
Always check the terms of each program and offer. A card can generally participate in only one Rewards Network-powered dining program at a time, and some programs impose additional stacking restrictions. For example, Rove says its dining rewards cannot be combined with other dining rewards or loyalty programs, apart from rewards earned directly from the credit card.
Meanwhile, InKind and Blackbird can be trickier to stack because payment is routed through their apps. You may still earn credit card rewards, but bonus-category treatment can depend on how the transaction is coded. And because the charge may appear as "InKind" or "Blackbird" rather than the individual restaurant, restaurant-specific card offers and card-linked dining programs may not trigger. Any portion paid with an InKind balance or Blackbird Fly will also not be charged to your rewards card.
Bottom line
Dining is one of the easiest spending categories to stack. Start with a card that earns bonus rewards, then check whether you can add a restaurant or reservation loyalty program, a card-linked dining program, a statement credit or a merchant offer. Just be sure to review each program's terms and how your payment will process before making your purchase since not every combination will track.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.