Restaurant.com

[motocrossmom]

How do these gift cert's work? If i buy a $50 gift cert for $25 - and it says minimum purchase $35.. does that mean the total bill has to be over $35 before we can use the gift cert? what if the total bill isnt that high?
And if it says 18% gratuity will be added, is that included in the minimum $35 purchase?


thanks

 

[mjkacmom]

First of all, you don't buy a restaurant.com certificate for $25! Sign up on the site, and you will get discount codes all month long, starting at 60% off, and up to 80% off, by the end of the month. I've never spent more than $4 for one. Yes, you have to spend that much, and yes, the gratuity is on what the meal would've cost without the certificate (which is only right - why should the server be stiffed). Think of it as a coupon, a really good coupon.

 

[VAfamily1998]

One time our bill wasn't high enough for the restaurant.com coupon (the restaurant we went to offered "kids eat free" specials on Mondays, and we didn't know they would let us combine this with the restaurant.com voucher!) so the waiter asked if we wanted to order a few muffins to go to bring the bill up to the total.

Usually, we're either familiar enough with the restaurant to know the general prices or we look up the menu ahead of time and figure approx. how much we will spend, and buy the certificate based on that.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yes you have to spend $35 pre tax and pre tip at the restaurant you go to. Some places allow alcohol to be used towards your total, some do not, this information will be listed on the coupon. I do not consider rest.com to be gift certificates but rather coupons, a very good coupon but a coupon all the same. We use these all the time, it's very easy to use them. Do sign up at the website, you will never pay $25 for a $25 coupon, the website charges around $10, I wait for the 80% off sale and get them then, sometimes I buy at 70% off but not very often. I don't usually pay more then $2 for a $25 coupon. This program works out very well for my family but it may not for others.

 

[Yoshi]

Check the terms carefully before buying. I found out after the purchase that you can't combine these certificates with a restaurant gift certificate now after a recent purchase (you used to be able to). I understand not being able to be allowed to use a coupon with the restaurant.com certificate but a gift certificate should be allowed.

Also a lot of times restaurants drop out of the program or close and you aren't notified so you have to e-mail them to issue you a replacement credit to get another certificate or change the terms on their own. One restaurant I happened to drive past had a sign up on the door saying that even though there was a $35 minimum printed on the certificate, you actually have to spend $50 to use it.

I have saved money using the certificates and they can be a good deal but it seems like you have to be more cautious when buying and using them now then in the past. I have also noticed a lot of restaurants raised prices on the certificate price. It used to be $10 for $25 before coupon, some restaurants are up to $20 for $25 before coupon!

 

[DOOM1001]

Never buy one of these certificates at full price,either sign up your e-mail so you get the current discount codes or just google it,they have discounts constantly between 50%-80% and even 90% once a year so a $25 certificate that costs $10 you can pick it up for $1.All the different restaurants have the requirements for use listed so make sure it works for you before getting it.Another thing to remember is you can only use a certificate once per month per restaurant.

 

[John Tag]

Yes like all have said...I too used a code. Current code for promo is "FORK" For us it was great. We were going to HOB either way. So I for fun downloaded there menu. Took what my family for 4 would have gotten, added tax and just for hahas went 15% tip. Total came out to be $110 Thats for Just 3 adult and 1 child meal and sodas,Tax and 15%. I then figured with cupon-$10 Appertizer-3 adult meals-1 child meal- 2 deserts to split-sodas.tax-18% required tip now we went from $110 to with cupon $86 with app and desert added!!

 

[DOOM1001]

Yes like all have said...I too used a code. Current code for promo is "FORK" For us it was great. We were going to HOB either way. So I for fun downloaded there menu. Took what my family for 4 would have gotten, added tax and just for hahas went 15% tip. Total came out to be $110 Thats for Just 3 adult and 1 child meal and sodas,Tax and 15%. I then figured with cupon-$10 Appertizer-3 adult meals-1 child meal- 2 deserts to split-sodas.tax-18% required tip now we went from $110 to with cupon $86 with app and desert added!!

I went to use one at House of Blues after 10pm and since they have an after 10pm happy hour where all appetizers and drinks are half price we saved the certificate for a future visit and instead opted for 3 or 4 appetizers at half price.

 

[kaytieeldr]

We used one recently at a restaurant in Las Vegas. We were about $1.40 shy of the $50 minimum. Neither of us wanted - or needed - dessert. I asked our server if she could charge me for the iced tea refill I'd gotten, and all was good .