Gift certificate purchases do qualify. I've already charged a certificate and received miles.

Remember, the only thing that matters is whether the restaurant charges your credit card. It doesn't matter if you ate the meal in the restaurant, ordered take-out or gave the meal to someone else via a certificate.

BTW, a certificate is a nice gift for out-of-town friends and clients. In most cases, you can order certificates right over the phone. Easy gift, easy miles.