Beware the fine print!
 

There are restrictions that you might not see, such as: "AAdvantage® Miles awarded up to the maximum spending of $1000 per month, 1 visit(s) per month." Always ensure you've read the fine print on the left side of the screen below the "rewards today" panel.

It's always a good idea to double-check to ensure that the day you're going actually offers rewards the day you do as well!

Remember: If it's a CHAIN, ensure you're looking at the one you're going to! They can vary (for example, Dallas BBQ in NYC is a chain, but all the awards are independently created.)

Also note that when a restaurant is going to leave the programme (the restaurant finder says: "leaving soon"), don't bother going there -- you probably won't see those miles -- I've had a string of bad luck with them.

Just a head's up...

- Chaz

I'm going to disagree here - one can look up to two weeks ahead for the departure date. As long as the system shows the place as participating on the date I dined, I'd go.

Another thing to be aware of - even amongst chains, restaurants may vary in which credit cards they accept vs. which credit cards they allow for miles / points.

Examples I can recall:

AMEX not accepted

AMEX accepted - but not creditable for miles, even if your AMEX is enrolled

We have one member of a chain that accepts AMEX for miles, and one does not. Tricky if we do not look first.

Thanks for posting this, I wasn't aware of that. So how can one easily tell if a place happens to accept AMEX, but not allowed for points? I don't recall seeing any language in the RW site restaurant details that warns about that.

The idea is that the individual restaurant listing will show only those cards accepted for miles credit; Rewards Network expects you to have read that "fine print" before forking over your AMEX.

Presumably, these joints balk at the idea of paying a higher credit card fee and having RN take their cut at the same time.

And you have to check every time you visit a place.
What cards they accept, how many visits per month, valid/invalid days, and of course their participation -- all can change. I assume such changes happen first of the month, but since I don't know that for sure, I check the site before every visit.
There are good news changes, too -- e.g., new restaurants, and ones that have left coming back in.

Exactly!

The detailed restaurant information tells you the maximum dollar spend allowed, the days (they may exclude Fri, Sat or Sun, for example), and which cards they accept dines for Rewards Network, whether they restrict spending (e.g. one dine a month), etc. I have been at restaurants that do not accept AMEX for miles, but are happy to accept my AMEX - it really pays to check.

Thanks. I'll start paying attention from now on. I've been lucky so far and have had everything post.

number dines/dollar amount limits
 

I've been able to skirt the dollar amount limits by using multiple RN accounts--for instance, I had a banquet at a RN restaurant with a $600/month limit, and the bill for the night came out to $1100. I had the restaurant charge half to one CC registered with the DL RN account and the rest to a CC registered with the AA RN . Both sets of miles posted, no trouble.

I've been able to use the same trick when getting around the number of visit limits as well-- crediting my 1st dine for the month to DL and then the 2nd in the month to my AA RN account.

You're spreading your number of visits out across programs, but atleast you still get the miles :)