Originally Posted by sdsearch

What you're seeing is simply the category that the merchant is in. Lots of credit card statements (including cards that have nothing to do with miles in any way, shape, or form) categorize merchants in this manner. It has nothing to do with miles, unless the card itself is running a promo where you get extra miles with purchases at certain categories. (Most often in recent years tho categories have been gas stations, groceries, and drug stores, and in that case Dining and Entertainment would be a category which would exclude you from bonus miles!) The categories' other function is in producing end-of-year statements which summarize your spending by category.

Meanwhile, only a tiny fraction of restaurants overall in the USA and Canada are in MP Dining. (Tho due to clustering, in certain areas there may be a few within a few minutes walk of each other.) There is no MP Dining program outside of the USA/Canada at all.

While it's theoretically possible to occasionally accidentally get MP Dining miles if you use the card at every restaurant (tho it depends on where you are how likely it is), you won't get many miles from the dining program unless (a) you do at least 12 qualifying dines every year, (b) you pay attention to the bonuses, and most importantly (c) you regularly check to see which restaurants are in the program (as restaurants get added and others drop out regularly).

If you have any questions about whether a restaurant you didn't look up beforehand particpated on the day you ate there, just look it up when you come back. Typically (tho not guaranteed) they'll have the same pattern of qualifying days every week. (Yes, you have to check, because even participating restauarnts don't necessarily give miles every day of the week. Plus some only give miles for one dine a month.)