Restaurant.com

I've been a customer of Restaurant.com for almost 20 years and have learned two things. It's terrible, but it's workable. The key is "Caveat Emptor" = "Buyer Beware". Here's how to make it work for you.

1. Go through their available list of restaurants
2. Sort your choices by size of $$ cost
3. If you have a credit of more than the largest $$ cost, go after the largest first
4. Read CAREFULLY the use limitation (Days, Hours, Max savings $$ on Min purchase $$)
5. Review the posted menu and prices
* if 4 and 5 aren't available, pass by them
6. BEFORE you order a certificate
a. CALL the restaurant to verify their acceptance and terms
b. Buy the largest $$ cost certificate you want
7. Work you way down to a final $5 certificate cost and buy it last

If you're going to give someone else a gift voucher, ask the recipient what restaurant out of the available restaurants they like, then do the above and buy the specific restaurant certificate to give them the.pdf of it so they can use it directly.

Once you get down to $5 credit, that's all you can get. You can't (but they can) combine credits. I have 4 x $100 plus 1 x $50 plus 1 x $15 plus 5 x $5 credit. IF I CAN EVER GET SOMEONE ON THE PHONE (rare), they will combine all the the less than $100 credits into the largest amount possible for this process to start over again.

These certificates can save you a lot of money and have saved me a lot over the years if used properly.

The main thing that I learned when planning on using these is to ALWAYS call the restaurant you are going to attend. Either they will say YES or NO. And always get the employees name that confirms if they say they will accept coupon.

After learning to do this small action before going out for dinner I have had great success with this company.

I see most of the bad reviews are from people who don't understand the concept. You DO NOT get to spend $5 on a $10 off coupon and then only spend $10, it doubles. Today I used a FREE $10 voucher and got a $10 off $20 coupon. Our meal came to $24 something so the bill came to $14 with tip it cost $20 total, Otherwise with tip it would have cost us $30, so we saved $10. Easy!

I don't understand the bad reviews in here. I was so scared that I called every single place I bought certificates for and all of them knew about this site and they said how to use it. I used my first last night. We went to a fancy italian in Chicago. When time to pay, I gave my certificate to waiter and he came back with $25 discount in our bill. Just like that! If you take long to use it business might be out but if you buy them, use them and follow rules... like minimum purchase or no more than 1 per table and month... it has to be so easy and you can save so much money! IT IS NOT A SCAM! I wish I had bougth this before and I bought 5 more to go out with my boyfriend every weekend.

Jeremiah's Tavern. Ordered two Fish Sandwich's. They come with a slice of lemon and Tartar sauce. No fries or anything else. I was a little bigger than a medium size hamburger bun and it cost with tax $23.74.
Biggest ripoff in the industry.

I used to work at a call center in México city where they forced the reps to lie to the restaurants in order to make them confirm their info so they could récord that and list them even when whoever answered was not the owner or mánager. Also we did not get payed most of the times and did not have law benefits. The mánager would sleep with the boss in order to do whatever she wanted. Her name was E. you can verify calling *******156 they will say they are located in San Antonio but they are actually in México also they mostly scam latino restaurants as it ia easier for language reasons

I've use Restaurant.com a couple times now and no issues. I pay $10 for a $25 certificates (sometimes restaruant.com runs specials for cheaper). Usually the only fine print is a $50 minimum, which I understand and have no issue meeting with my family. I redeem right off my phone and have always been welcomed. Nice for me to get a little discount and nice for the restaurant because I seek them out and I spend a bit more than the minimum.

Maybe I have just been lucky, but I have NEVER had a problem using my certificates. Accessing your account and certificates is a little clunky at first, but I have always received helpful customer service to figure things out. The money my family has saved over the years eating out is in the thousands! Plus when we go out to dinner with other people and we have a certificate, we share the discount and we all get to enjoy the $50.00 taken off the bill, so win win! I have encountered a few places that have restrictions like "only valid Sun-Thurs", so I just don't buy those unless I know I will be eating out mid week. You do need to READ the details. All in all, I give it 5 stars. I really hope all the negative reviews don't shut this business down, it really is legit.

K. P. Seattle

Love Restaurant.Com! Only have one problem in several years, and it was resolved almost immediately! I don't like that they now don't have an 800 number to call because I would like to know where my credits have gone when I've exchanged a greater amount certificate for a lesser amount certificate. I don't quite understand how to access their new website. Can anyone help me?

I love this site, i save a lot of money, eating out
With these gift certificates, & they never expire, neither do the gift cards. I have dome from 2007, that are still good, great f2f or traveling, put in zip code, where your at, & buy certificate, or buy gift cards to save or later

El Coqui, San Antonio, Texas does NOT honor the certificate you buy from Restaurant.com, claiming the Restaurant.com has not set up the account with them. So call the restaurant you would like to buy a certificate for BEFORE you purchase the "so called" discount certificate.

I have been using Restaurant.com for years. Sure every once in a while the
Restaurant goes out of business and you must then exchange your certificate for
A different one that is in business. Rarely, happens to me. It appears from reading
The negative reviews that people don't understand how the certificates work. If you
Purchase a $25.00 certificate (often for $5.00) you may use that certificate at one
Of the participating restaurants on the website. Each certificate clearly indicates that
To utilize the certificate there is a certain amount that must be spent. Usually, on a $25.00
Cert. You must spend 40-50.00 dollar and only use at that restaurant once a month. The trick
Is to find a restaurant that you like or frequent. I see nothing wrong with the spending limit
Since my check for my wife and I always exceeds the spending limit and it is very nice to
See the check with a $25.00 deduction on the balance. In N. J. some of the very best restaurants
Participate. Buy the certificate, print it, and read the conditions as to spending and any other
Possible limitations. It is a great savings and I probably buy 25 certificates or more annually. If I am going to an unfamiliar restaurant I usually call to make sure they are still participating before
I leave or make a reservation. On those rare occasions where the restaurant is no longer participating you can exchange your certificate on Restaurant.com. Learn how to use the site
And you will appreciate getting $25.00 off your check each time you dine out.

I think that Restaurant.com has very good deals. Of course, one should be discriminating and find restaurants that would suit their tastes. In my area, there are maybe 4 of many restaurants where I would wish to dine. That said, I have purchased several for my favorites.

When I travel, I always look at what Restaurant. Com is offering in my new location.

I've used so many of these certificates to save a lot of money. For instance, I was able to get a $25 off $50 certificate to a nearby deli for just $4! I ordered a ton of food for a fraction of the price. Such a great deal. Now, there's one place with the same $25 off $50 and they are terrible at redeeming the certificate--always making excuses--"dine-in only, can't be ordered online, etc." even though there are NO such limitations within the conditions. But you can always exchange those for other certificates using a PC (this option isn't available on mobile sites). Basically, you can find great deals and save money if the business owners honor their deals. There are always promotions through restaurant.com so always check. Usually you can get $10 certificates for just $2.

I have purchased several and never had a problem. I feel bad for all the people who felt they got screwed but many did not read the fine print, so they screwed themselves. For those where the restaurant refused to accept them, that is another issue.

I get restaurant.com coupons all the time. I love the site. Groupon does not even offer any discounts where I live but restaurant.com is everywhere. I use it also when I travel. There are a lot of great restaurant out there I never would have known about them if it was not for the web site. The secret to the site is to buy the restaurant.com gift card on ebay at a fraction of the cost and then use it on their web site to get the restaurant coupon. Also with Groupon you have to pay in advance but with restaurant.com there is no money up front and if I don't use the coupon or the very rare chance the restaurant don't take it yes this has happened twice to me then I just exchange it for another coupon for some place else. I have gotten so I only eat someplace if I can get half off. They now have an app for the phone and the tablet so you can just do it on the move now and don't have to print out the coupons.

I think the biggest problem people are having is they dont know how to use the web site. And maybe people are selling the gift card number more then once. I have started just getting a coupon for a resturant right after i enter in the gift card number for the whole amount of the gift card then later on i can trade the coupon in for the coupons i want that way no one can ever use your gift card because it will be used.

First thing you need to do is make a name and password for the site. So many questions when people have not even been on the site yet then you click on my account at the top. After that you should see redeem a code at the top. Click on that and enter in a code from the gift card. After that go to my account again and on the left side under my orders you will see gift cards. Click on that and your gift card will show up and then you can redeem it. Also you can view used gift card. Now after you click redeem you enter in a zip code for where you want to go. Then find the restaurant you want. I would call the restaurant before you purchase it to make sure they take it. Once an owner said no he didn't and his wife was standing next to him and said yes they do she had signed up for it but had not told him he then told her he had just turned away a costumer earlier in the day because he did not know.

Had a wonderful lunch today at Ocean beach rosters in Ocean shores wa. The staff was just
Great so is the atmosphere. The reastaurant was clean an neat as a pen. Great lattes and SUPER deserts. I highly recommend this for your dining experience.
I never write reviews but just had to, this place is a hit. My wife still cannot believe how great the sandwiches were. Go there you will not regret it.
Thanks for reading this review.

Terry Johnston, Seattle, wa

Hi. If I redeem my $100 gift card and get a $50 certificate from certain restaurant but I only consume $40 that day, How do I get the remaining balance back to my $100 Card? Do I have to consume the full amount of $50? If not, Will then I get stock with that restaurant and will have to come back to spend the remaining $10 dollars? Or will those go back to my original $100 card?

Great customer service. I made a mistake and used the wrong certificate at a restaurant. I thought it just disappeared. After writing customer service they gave me a new certificate and credited the restaurant that was not credited. My mistake but they made it right. Could not expect better service.

This is not a scam guys. Okay look, this is what you have to do to get an even BETTER deal. Go to ebay and look for $100 gift cards for restaurant.com and buy from someone you trust. I spent $3 on the $100 gift card (on ebay) and it worked. Then i choose whatever restaurant i wanted to eat at and if i bought a $25 certificate, with the minimum purchase having to be around $37, i would've only spent $12 on that $37 meal! But you really SHOULD get the gift card :) If you guys dont understand how it works, have never used it, or confused you should not leave a review..

I agree that calling them gift certificates is a little misleading - they are more like buying coupons. You can buy a $25 coupon (for $10) and it is good towards the purchase of $37.50 or more.

The site makes it very clear that there is a minimum purchase required, and they have for years.

I wouldn't give one of the coupons as a gift -- that's just tacky. For those of you who give it one star based on getting a certificate as a gift from someone -- maybe you should direct your anger towards them for being a cheapskate and giving you a coupon instead of a real gift certificate.

I have never paid full price for a certificate/coupon. They used to have promo codes for 50%-90% off all the time, but not so much anymore. Now I just buy codes from reputable sellers on ebay. I have gotten $100 worth of coupons for like $6 and 10 of the $100 codes for $35 or so. I used a $100 one at a bar the other day on $22 worth of food and about $190 worth of booze. Coupon cost me like $3.50 and saved me $100 -- I already got my money back from the $1000 worth of codes I bought!

I try to use restaurant.com gift certificates wherever I travel, as well as locally. My only problem with them is that lately, many restaurants have been dropping out. And the ones who have stayed have lowered their coupon values significantly.

I've never been told that my certificate wasn't good. There is no expiiration dates, and they are easily exchanged if the restaurant stops participating, or if you decide not to go there. Customer service has always been pleasant and cooperative.

I really don't understand why there are so many disgruntled former users.

Very useful site to find a restaurant near your location. The reviews need a little work though.