Points Scrounger

I just purchased a restaurant.com cert for an iDine joint. Now I'm a tad concerned that iDine might block credit on doing that; I seem to recall something regarding no credit for discounted meals, etc.

I really cannot see how they could do that, unless restaurants have a way of alerting iDine to block the miles in advance - or have a separate terminal for those transactions? Anyone had a problem with this issue yet?

Anyway, given the 70% off code for certs from that SPAM thread, I'm keen to try out a rather $$$$ local iDine place that I wouldn't consider "paying retail" for.

gardener

I have gotten iDine miles while using Restaurant.com certs. I have also double dipped several times on iDine and Entertainment. I have also once not gotten iDine credits when using Entertainment and when I called iDine about the missing credit they said, "You used a coupon worth $xx and therefore are not eligible for iDine". So yes, the restaurant does have a way to "tell" Dine but most do not bother.

Stefan Daystrom

One roundabout way at some restaurants to avoid that possibility (but it depends on circumstances whether it's worth it): If the restaufant issues either gift cards or gift certificates, you can probably buy those using your iDine credit card and if so earn iDine. That's the transaction that iDine will see. Then when you go to actually eat at the restaurant, if they allow you to pay with a gift certificate and use a restaurant.com coupon, then iDine won't see that transaction at all, and thus it's all in the restaurant's hands.

Always Travel Ready

We purchased a gift certificate for a restaurant that I had heard wonderful things about. It was our first time using one of these GC so I was a little nervous as to how it would be received. We presented it with our credit card. The waitress applied the credit to the bill and the remainder was billed to our credit card.

It wasn't until a week later when I was viewing my credit card statement online and saw the 20 percent credit for the remainder of our bill, that I realized that this was also an IDine restaurant. In the end, it cost us less than eight dollars for brunch for a party of 3. Unbelievable!!

So in answer to your question, yes, we have used a restaurant.com gift certificate at an IDine restaurant successfully. Give it try. You've got nothing to lose, especially at the 70% discount now being offered for these certificates.