Rewards Network changes to a new iDine - tiered cash back program
 

I got an email on 9/2/09 saying the following. Do I read this correctly that the 10% cash rewards I have been getting for years are now being cut in half to 5%? (Not exactly - read in entirety.)

(Original post title: "Rewards Network changes to iDine; cash rewards now cut in half ???")



Inserted October 2, 2009:

New iDine® DINING WITH BENEFITS™ Program (http://www.idine.com) appears to be a three-tiered cash-back program.

1. Tier 1: RARE. Those who join at the no-fee level can earn 5% cash rebate, initially.

2. Tier 2: MEDIUM. When you have earned $40 in rebates, you can then earn 10%.

3. Tier 3: WELL DONE. Pay $100 annual fee, receive 20% cash rebate.

Disclaimer:
*Benefits must be offered by the establishment on the day you dine.
**Benefits on the RARE and MEDIUM programs are earned and credited to your registered card the next time you dine at a participating dining spot, when benefits are offered, within 60 days. Benefits on the WELL DONE program are credited to your card with no further dining requirement.

How it works

FAQ

I got the same email, and I think we'll just have to wait and see what the rules turn out to be. This email is very unclear. If you interpret it literally, you get 5% of the total for a given iDine meal after EVERY additional iDine meal for the next 60 days. But I'm sure that's not actually what the rules will be, because that would make it easy to get a ridiculous amount of cash back (have more than 20 iDine meals in the subsequent 60 days, and you'd get more than 100% back). So does it mean that you get the 5% only after your next iDine meal? If so, then they picked a very strange way to say that.

So I really don't know how to interpret the email. We'll just have to wait and see.

Rebate is accrued, but not given to you till later
 

The way I read it is that you don't get your 5% rebate credited onto your credit card for Meal # 1, until you go and qulaify for another iDine rebate for Meal # 2. But you don't actually get the Meal # 2 rebate, until you go to another iDine particpant restaurant and eat Meal # 3. Etc...

Didn't they go to a lot of trouble just ~three years ago, to switch from "iDine" to "Rewards Network" ? Sigh.

Yes they did. Reminiscent of Steve Wolf who spent millions renaming "US Air" into "US Airways". Ironically people still call it by the old name over a decade later.

Yet another reason for you guys to earn miles.

That's only so the acronym will still work out to "Unfortunately Still Allegheny In Reality." (quoted from Mark Russell.)

Yeah - I think I'll just stop with this nonsense already.

With rules like this, I can only imagine the end is near.

Don't forget that they were Transmedia before that. Their design team must be doing well, if no one else over there.

OP, do you mean that Rewards Network was giving you a cash rebate, like Discover? I have done it (iDine/Rewards Network) through United and Northwest -- I only recall getting miles-per-expenditure, not a rebate.

If you paid the $49 annual fee, your 'bonus' was in the form of a credit refunded to your credit card. If you went the $0 annual fee route, you earned FF miles with whichever airline you enrolled with.

I also agree with lastein's "Rebate is accrued, but not given to you till later" interpretation. Obviously they're attempting to promote repeat usage of iDine restaurants, by deferring previous rebates until a new restauratant visit. However, coupled with the new 5% rebate rate, I'm not sure I'd keep the paid membership (a quick search around my zipcode, for the 20 closest restaurants it returned, 9 of them offer 20% cashback).

Also, in regards to NJUPINTHEAIR's post of, "Yet another reason for you guys to earn miles", typically the miles earned were always 1/2 of the cash back (you get either 10% rebate or 5 FF miles). I'd expect a reduction in FF miles awarded with the new plan.

Jeff

Not necessarily as cash flow is one thing, miles flow is quite another -- esp. when companies like this can and do buy miles on the very cheap. With today's news that the airlines are looking at an additional $11 billion dollars in losses over what orginally was predicted, it is just a greater incentive for them to sell their miles on the cheap -- haven't you noticed in the past year how all the airlines are pushing you to purchase their miles?

In addition, we have not received a devaluation at least as of yet like you guys have. Query -- did you receive a double bonus M - W and/or any bonus promotions this year, like we have seen amongst the miles/points participants?

Yes, but Transmedia wasn't exactly the same thing - you needed to you a Transmedia card, linked to your credit card; iDine cut out the (identifying) middleman.

We're just talking about their name changes here, not changes in process.

iDine - New Membership Levels
 

Hi there,

Elizabeth here from Rewards Network! I was hoping I could clarify a few things about iDine, our new cashback program.

Many of you probably got the email Lastein did. While you may be automatically enrolled in our 5% cashback program, there are other new options available under iDine that will allow you to earn 10, even 20% cash back. iDine kicks off September 27th, 2009—you'll be able to learn more about the different membership options then.

Also, Lastein is correct that the benefit will come back to your card on your subsequent program dine.

We encourage you to try out the new program and see what you think. You might find that with the new membership levels, you'll be able to save even more than before.

We welcome your feedback about our cashback, frequent flyer, and other loyalty dining programs. We’re glad to chat here, or you can email us at [email protected] (please include your full name) or give us a call at 877-491-3463 (9 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, M-F).