Restaurant.com

When you're paying a fraction of the savings offered, -- people need to keep it real on that it's not a Visa Gift Card. If you go to the website, put in your zip code, there are "Plenty" of restaurant options to select. Pull up code on your phone or print paper certificate. Follow instructions and 99% of the time, the restaurant will accept coupons as they get several a month as they're partners with this company. If a restaurant stopped accepting, which happens but is rare, then Restaurant Dot Com will give you new code to go elsewhere. Period, end of story. Follow the rules and the experience is ideal.

I've purchased certificates from Restaurant.com for several years. First in San Francisco and now on Central Oregon Coast. I've never been ripped off and I don't think it's a scam.

In my experience, the pros are: Often REALLY great savings (particularly if coupled with a special incentive through a site like RetailMeNot, Ebates, etc.), opportunity tor try places I might not know about/otherwise wouldn't try (and some of them have made me converts to full-price dining) and if I didn't redeem the certificate in the time period, I can apply it to something else so don't lose money (most recent example is a certificate I purchased at the Pork Store in SF several years ago, never used, but was able to apply the price I paid a couple weeks ago to some places in Oregon).

The cons, again in my experience, are: Really need to read the fine print to make sure it will work for you (i. E., minimum spend, food only vs. food/alcohol, lunch vs. dinner vs any time, time period in which multiple certificates can be applied...), limited choices of restaurants in your living/touring area and - like many "discounts" - the waitstaff may treat you like second-class citizens when you pull out the certificate (even before you order) so you feel like an idiot.

Overall, though, I continue to buy on occasion.

Restaurant.com offers some good deals and genuine savings. That said, problems will likely arise if you don't carefully research its site AND each restaurant in which you're interested. Go to the restaurant.com site. Type in the relevant zip code (usually for your home area or a place you will soon visit) or a type of cuisine you prefer. Write down the name and contact information of each restaurant that interests you. Note each restaurant's ostensible restrictions--as listed on restaurant.com--regarding restaurant.com. Make sure you also note a restaurant's telephone number or email or texting address. CONTACT the restaurant: by phone is the fastest and cheapest, if local. Politely ask a SUPERVISOR or someone with equivalent authority about the restaurant's policies regarding restaurant.com. Make SURE you speak to someone of genuine supervisory authority and record that person's first name. Double and triple check with the SUPERVISORY person about any restrictions regarding restaurant.com: $50 minimum purchase? Not valid Friday through Sunday? Not valid for the buffet or combination meals? Separate gratuity still expected? Okay. Record all of this information where you can quickly retrieve it. Make sure you've got all the information you need. NOW, you could still run into problems, but it's far less likely. Say, you're a single person eating alone. You note the $50 minimum purchase. Okay: plan to eat a dinner in AND order some take out you'll really want--say, for lunch and dinner at home tomorrow. GREAT! You've saved some good money on food you really want. But you'll likely feel ripped off, unless you do some research first. (Also, if rather than a card you print up an e-gift card on your home computer, be sure to stick this in a plastic sleeve or in a safe, dry place.) Okay: I understand some of the criticisms of restaurant.com that I've read on this site. My experience with restaurant.com has been fairly positive, but others note some valid concerns here. If you do your research first--and then double check again when you arrive at the restaurant--you're likely to save some good cash at a nice restaurant you genuinely like. That's a big "if"--do the research first and avoid hassles, misinterpretations, and that ugly "ripped off" feeling.

Never had a problem with them. I always
Use my certificate without any issues
I like this program, very convenient for dining out.

I have used Restaurant.com for quite a few years. I have had pretty good results but I feel as if you really need to live in a larger city or near a larger city to make it worth the effort. (More restaurants/more opportunities) I have noticed that there are some restaurants listed in my area that have been closed for several years or more. That is why I have given restaurant.com 4 stars. The other reason has nothing to do with them but I have encountered restaurants that have no idea how to redeem certificates even though it is plainly written out on how to use them. (It's as simple as selecting "redeem.") Because of this, I wasted two out of three certificates for one restaurant on a single visit because the bartender did not know how to redeem them. I was told there is no way to get the incorrectly redeemed certificates back. Luckily, I had used a special offer for them and hadn't paid much.

Have used these certificates quite a few times. Sure, the restaurants are limited (133 in Washington, DC, and few "5 star restaurants") but easily used and lots of "new" good food experiences. Suggest go to Tripadvisor and check out the restaurant, give them a call and ask if they honor, and if they do, print the certificate and enjoy..

I have been using Restaurant.com for the past 10 years. After reading the reviews I believe the issues with the low ratings are related to the perception of what your buying.

This is not a gift certificate but a coupon for a discount on your meal. Before going to the restaurant you need to call ahead and make sure they are still taking the certificates. I do this every time and about 25% of the time they are no longer taking the coupons. I simply go back to the website, restaurant.com, and exchange the certificate for either another restaurant or a credit to be used at a later date.

If your expectation is you purchased a gift certificate similar to paying with cash then I can see your frustration but what did you expect for a $25 off coupon that you paid $1-$5 for depending on the coupon code you used to purchase it. If you paid more than a few dollars you overpaid.

The reason the restaurants are leaving the program is this is a fantastic deal for the consumer but not so much for the restaurant. They do not receive any of the money you spent on the certificate. They simply participate in the program for advertising and get new customers. The restaurants are losing money on these transactions so I always tip well to make sure the server is well taken care of.

The availability of restaurants can be very limited depending on your location. If you are in a competitive area you can always find a few good restaurants that quite good bargains. The trick is to purchase the certificates with a good discount. Today on Cyber Monday they are giving a 90 percent discount so a $25 certificate only costs $1. If I do not use this certificate I can always exchange it at a later date.

The deals are getting skinnier lately. It used to be you would only need to spend $35 for a $25 discount or $75 for a $50 discount. Today the best deal is spending $50 for a $25 discount. This is still a very good deal and makes it possible to dine out on a budget or better yet if you are a road warrior on a limited corporate per-diem you can eat well and stay within your budget.

The bottom line is this is a very good program for the consumer as long as you check with the restaurant first before you go and only buy certificates when they have good discounts with the coupon codes, i. E. never pay more than $4 for a $25 off certificate and when they have deals like today, $1 for $25 certificate you should load up for the year.

I have used Restaurant.com for a few years now and I have 'never' had a problem redeeming their certificates! A lot of the negative reviews listed on this site I believe, falls on the restaurant being visited and not on restaurant.com. How RC be held responsible for restaurants pulling out of the program or making up changes to how or when they will accept the certs? Some of the other complaints seem to be about RC not making updates quick enough, yet it's hard to tell who is telling the truth. As someone else suggested, call the restaurant to verify they accept the certs before buying them. If you still have a problem log back into RC and redeem them for another participating restaurant. I just did that today for certs I originally purchased back in 2010 with no problem. I think it is a great program for us consumers. I don't know how it works for restaurants.

Great website and lots of coupons there but be sure to read the terms first and ask about the coupon acceptance BEFORE YOU MAKE AN ORDER. By sticking this law, for me, I have never had any problems with certificates.

I keep reading these negative ads about restaurant.com yet I've been using them for years and never had one single issue! I think people don't read or pay attention to the fine print or are just WAY beyond cheap! Really clear in the explanations for each restaurant and you have to understand, you can't be cheap. If you don't understand the restaurant world, don't buy them.

It works as advertised - prices are great but you need to check the restricts; certificates require minimum bill which usually excludes booze, some are good only on weekdays, etc. Web page is not very usuer friendly, instructions could be much better, etc. Specials E-mailed at least weekly, I once paid 1.40 for a $25 coupon (free steak dinner for my wife!), and some $5 coupons for $. 40. I have used about 16 certificates during the past. 18 months in 3 different states with only one problem (restaurant closed, however it was easy to exchange the certificate for another one in the same area) I have 5 more in my smart phone just waiting for me!,,

I have had an account with Restaurant.com for several years. Have bought certificates, exchanged. And used MANY. Had an issue that was resolved quickly and to my satisfaction. Don't believe the Nay-sayers.

So you see all these bad reviews of Restaurant.com. I took advantage of a great deal.
100 - $50 cards for $500 from Citi Easy Deals. That $4500 of free food
Just avoid these assumptions:
1) It's not off any restaurant. Get a Visa Gift Card if you want that. Enjoy your fees.
2) It's not a free meal. It's up to half off the total bill. You can use the remainder elsewhere.
3) It's one use per restaurant per month. Not getting 1/2 price sushi every weekend. Goto a different restaurant tomorrow.
4) You have to log into the app to find the card to redeem. Yes it shows your name. Got to log in anyway. That bugs me! Lose one Star.
5) Let the server tap the screen to redeem.
You will hit one of these the first time through. After that it's discount city.
Got my food budget in line through some hard times.

Only used them twice. One for restaurant $25 coupon I got for free as a RCI Platinum member. I read the $37.50 minimum and was sure to exceed that and whola they deducted $25 from the bill. All as advertised. After reading reviews here I will confirm with restaurant that the honor the certs in advance. The second use was stellar. I searched through their special tab and found a offer the half case of wine. Normal price was $36 bottle. Restaurant.com offer was for $8. Bought the coupon for $48 which allowed me to buy $216 half case. I had to pay the taxes and Shipping extra - $44 dollars. That is legit. So it was an amazing deal. The website for the wine did not work properly for the certificate but I call them and in few minutes the deal was done for the price of the coupon $48 and $44 shipping and handling. They charged me nothing extra for the wine itself. I was shocked to see their normal price was $36 a bottle. Not an inflated retail an actual retain value. So for me the experience was quite valuable. The best price on the net I found for the wine was $20/ bottle. I paid $8 thanks to Restaurant.com.

I have been purchasing restaurant.com certificates for over 2 years now so I thought I could submit a fair review. I would say I've used about 60 restaurant.com certificates over the years.

Every certificate has worked perfectly and all places honored everything that was promised. I only had one restaurant that went out of business before I got to use the certificate but Restaurant.com reimbursed me right away.

The certificates are available seconds after purchase and have all the details you need. The BEST part is they are good for a WHOLE year after purchase. And, before you hit the purchase button the fine print pops up and you have to agree to it before you buy. So that's good.

Whenever I travel I take the zip code and look for restaurants and purchase one for every day. You can save a ton of money on food by doing this.

One HUGE down side is if you are going to purchase a certificate WITH a "gift certificate", some restaurants are not available. Meaning, they have to be purchased using a credit card, not a gift certificate. That's a REAL bummer & a down side to this program. But it is what it is.

Lastly, I highly suggest that you take a look at the companies own website & menu BEFORE purchasing any certificate. Lets face it, some restaurants are struggling & this is a last ditch effort to get the word out & win some new customers. With that said, some of these places might be in a bad section of town, a little run down or might not be your type of place.

You can search by type of food & price. There's always a minimum you have to spend to use it but it still will save you either $10, $25, $50 or $100 on a meal. Check out your local restaurants by using your own zip. You can select within a mile, 5 or 10 miles. So you can increase your search to get more results.

Not all experiences have been good but I'd rather pay less money for ok food than full price. Don't get me wrong, we've had some of the best meals of our lives using restaurant.com certificates.

One BIG suggestion to Restaurant.com website designers: Please add a feature so we can SORT by voucher denominations. I only purchase $25 certificates & it takes extra time searching for these. In addition, don't include restaurants in the results that are OUT of stock. Seems silly to give me a list of potential restaurants and they are ALL OUT of certificates. Make these changes & you will get 5 stars!

Very goo service. All the staff was friendly and efficient. The food and cocktails were very very good.

restaurant.com is NOT A SCAM. I have been purchasing coupons and using these coupons for over 2 years. I do not work for the company or even know of anyone who works for them. After reading most the of comments here, I believe people need to read the "terms" of the coupon, just like any other store/restaurant coupon. Their coupons DO NOT EXPIRE. If a restaurant goes out of business or stops honoring the coupon, you can ALWAYS EXCHANGE THEM for a new restaurant. I use these coupons when I am entertaining family, company, or just want to take the whole family to a specific restaurant. It's a great way to try a new restaurant or keep going back to those you like. With many restaurants, you can only use the coupons, once every 30 days... get with the system people... it's a great deal and I know many people who have continually purchased them and use them.

You really have to be careful with this site, I do use them but this isn't a charity they have to make money somehow as do the restaurants. I am in NC and there are hundreds of places to choose from, I prefer to use them at places I've eaten before or a smaller place I'd like to try.
There is a great restaurant that I pass every day never used them before I found them on restaurant.com, they don't do the coupons anymore but I had no problem using mine, even though they were a year old.

Just be sure to read all the small print, the rules differ for each deal, many for example are only to be used for dinner when prices are higher, or you have to spend more than you usually would before you can use it, and 90% of restaurants expect you tip on the pre discounted rate even when they charge an 18% gratuity because you're using a coupon(not much of a deal there).
Regardless of the rules there are great deals to be found just sign up for email and you will get coupon codes to make it easier to find one.

I just used my coupon, but it was a bit of a hassle. The waitress didn't add our sodas to the bill so we didn't make the $35 minimum purchase. I had to talk to the manager and ask why non-alcoholic drinks were not included in the minimum price purchase and she fixed it for me. We all had lunch for $10.00 + $6 tip, so that was nice, but it was a bit of a pain. Has anyone else had a restaurant try to exlcude non-alcoholic drinks? DEFINITELY CALL THE RESTAURANT AHEAD OF TIME TO GET THIS STUFF WORKED OUT BEFORE YOU SHOW UP.

HONESTLY I LIKE THIS COMPANY, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF YOU PEOPLE REALLY DO NOT KNOW HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS. IT IS DESIGNED TO GIVE DISCOUNTS ON A MEAL FOR CERTAIN RESTAURANTS. NOT TO PAY FOR THE ENTIRE MEAL... I DISLIKE THE NEW SITE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE MY GIFT CARDS UNDER MY ORDERS. NOTHING NEVER DISAPPEARS. SO TRY IT IT MAY HELP

I like this site... When you get comfortable using it you will love it. Also. I recommend that you must live in a big City... Otherwise... it wont be too many options to choose from... but the site works well.

If you read the requirments clearly listed before you buy it can be a great way to save money. As an example we used one yesterday that was a $25 gift card for $2. Requirment: min. 2 people, dine-in dinner only, min. $35 total sale less alcohol, verify location will take printed gift card. Basicly you have to decide if it is a good deal for you or not.