Reminder: Not All Programs Have the Same Restaurants!
 

I am pursuing the Delta promotion and wanted to remind you that not all of the programs have the same restaurants listed, i.e., some might have more.

This came home to me when I realized that one of my local restaurants is listed in both the United and AA program (could be more but I have not checked) but is not listed in Delta's.

It may be that Delta's program just has fewer participants, I don't know but I had been under the impression that the number of restaurants participating had been standardized among the programs -- I was wong, so I don't want you to be! :)

Very good reminder! Thanks for that.

Yes, indeed it's still true. For example, in recent months I was comparing the restaurants participating in the AA program vs. the Priority Club (Holiday Inn/IC/etc.) program. In San Francisco there are far more restaurants participating in AA vs. PC.

It's a pain to have to constantly check participation, but then, since restaurants enter and leave the RN program frequently, you have to check for at least that reason in any case.

Hi there! You are correct that participating restaurnts can sometimes vary between our different dining programs. It's definitely a good idea to check your program's website regularly for up-to-date information on participation and benefits. We do appreciate your feedback and are always looking for ways to improve ease of use.

If you haven't yet discovered them, our mobile apps for BlackBerry and iPhone can help you find great restaurants on the go and confirm that benefits are offered.

Elizabeth, on behalf of Rewards Network

RN Dining iPhone App
http://www.mygpsdine.com/?fbid

RN Dining BlackBerry App
http://mygpsdine.com/index.php/blackberry/?fbid

Nor do restaurants give RN credit for all credit cards - even if they accept them for purchase!

Yesterday, I had lunch in a joint that I recalled being Visa/MC only. My bill folder contained an AMEX promotional blurb (there was no AMEX logo among the door stickers), so I asked the waitress, who said that they accepted AMEX as payment. I checked later, and AMEX is not shown as RN-eligible; I'd used my MC debit card, thinking this was one of those "just because you can pay with the card, doesn't mean it's a 'valid' transaction" episodes.

On the other hand, who knows -- maybe the RN website was not up-to-date? Maybe the restaurant had recently added Amex as a payment option, and it was also RN-eligible but not yet shown on the website? I wonder if this happens.

Having been burned on using the "wrong" credit card once, which the rep told me she'd give courtesy credit for "this once", I'd rather not risk it.
The other alternative would be to call RN from the restaurant before the bill arrives.

Of course! I wasn't suggesting that you should use a credit card that is/was not shown as RN-earning on the RN website.

Rather, I was indulging in idle speculation about how well the RN website is kept up-to-date. ;)

I'm not the only one who's reported in the past having to call them up with "Ummm ... ya know ... Joe's Bar & Grill went out of business a month ago."

Hi there,
Whether it's AMEX or Mastercard, as long as your card is registered with your RN dining program, and the merchant processes your card, you should receive benefits on the transaction. If you used a registered AMEX card to pay at a program restaurant, you should have received benefits. I'm very sorry to hear that this was not the case. Member Services can help you address this issue. I'm not sure which dining program you are a member of, but our general number is (877) 392-7313.

Thank you for dining with us--we hope you will continue to do so!

Best regards,
Elizabeth, on behalf of Rewards Network

So, you're saying that the "credit cards accepted" on the restaurant's Rewards Network page is "advisory" and not binding? Is this new, because the time I used an AMEX as a place showing only MC/Visa online, the RN rep told me technically I wasn't entitled to any miles at all; Members Services told me to be sure not to make that "mistake" again after giving me a one-time credit.

I may have misunderstood--as a general rule, your best bet is to consult the credit cards accepted list on the merchant's details page. This is the best way of ensuring that the card you are using is eligible for benefits.

If a card such as AMEX is not listed on the merchant's details page, it's possible that all AMEX transactions go on a different credit card processor. So while the restaurant will accept AMEX, benefits may not be issued for AMEX cards. Such a case is unlikely, but it is possible, and this may be what you experienced. We do apologize for the inconvenience. I'm glad that Member Services was able to issue you a credit.

Thanks again for dining with us!

Best regards,
Elizabeth, on behalf of Rewards Network

I had this happen about 2 years ago. There was a localized bonus in the Southern California area that involved having several dines of a certain minimum amount in the area. My wife and I were in Palm Springs for a week and ate in several establishments to meet the requirements for the bonus. When one of the dines (and the bonus) did not post, I called Rewards Network and was told that the establishment did not award miles for Amex charges, even though they did accept the charge card. I not only did not get the 500+ miles for the dine, but also lost the 5000 bonus miles that I otherwise would have qualified for. See post #34 in this thread. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/idine...ions-list.html

I'd never realised this was possible, until just recently. I already knew the restaurant and knew that it accepted Amex. As it was over the Xmas/New Year period, I checked the search listing to see that it was earning on the day I went, but I didn't even look at the detail page.

I had always thought that all necessary information was on the search result page, including "Rewards Today". If a restaurant accepts some types of cards for RN and some types of cards which don't credit RN, it would be useful to have a marker for that on the search results page. (There are plenty of times I use that as a list and don't even check the detail page. It's never mattered before, and the reviews on tripadvisor are far more useful.) Alternatively, how about mandating an all-or-nothing approach? Either in or out, not "partly in, depending on which card you use".

I sometimes check the accepted cards list, but not often. If a card type was missing on the RN listing and accepted by the restaurant, I would have assumed (as Kathy suggested) that the list was just information from the restaurant, like the menu, which could be out of date.