What is the Hilton Honors Dining rewards program? Hilton Honors Dining is Hilton’s rewards program…
Best Dining Rewards Programs
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For many of us, eating out frequently at restaurants or getting delivery is essential. No matter how much we try to resist the urge and cook for ourselves, it’s hard to overcome the convenience. So if you decide to indulge, you might as well get rewards points as the cherry on top of the meal. But what are the best dining rewards programs? Are dining rewards points really worth the effort?
In this article, we will explore dining rewards programs, why they are important, and the best ones out there. But to get things started, here are the best dining rewards programs.
- AAdvantage Dining
- Hilton Honors Dining
- Free Spirit Dining
- iDine
- IHG Rewards Club Dining
- Mileage Plan Dining
- MileagePlus Dining
- OpenTable Rewards
- Orbitz Rewards Dining
- Rapid Rewards Dining
- SkyMiles Dining
- The Table from Golden Circle
- Total Rewards Dining
- TrueBlue Dining
What are dining rewards programs?
Dining rewards programs give points for eating out at restaurants, bars, lounges, and clubs. The premise is simple. You’ll get rewarded when you dine out at a restaurant within a certain program’s network. These rewards usually come in the form of either cash back credits or bonus points or airline miles with another rewards program. The beauty of dining rewards programs is that they are very straight-forward and easy to use:
- You need to sign up for one program
- Add at least one credit card to the account
- Use that same card to pay for meals at dining spots within the network
So what does “within the network” mean? Well, each dining program has a portfolio full of partner restaurants, bars, lounges, and clubs that you’ll earn points at. Most programs have hundreds of thousands of locations globally to choose from, so you’re not restricted to a certain region or geographical location. So the chances are that you can find a spot to eat within the dining network wherever you may be.
Dining rewards programs are always associated under another rewards program, especially hotel or airline rewards programs. For example, Hilton Honors have the Hilton Dining Rewards program and Southwest Airlines has the Rapid Rewards Dining program. This means that the dining rewards points you earn from either of these two will be added to your main rewards account and contribute to your overall balance. And that’s a huge benefit because you can turn what you spend on eating out into free flights, hotel stays, and much more.
Turning your dining habits into savings
While eating out can certainly be more convenient, it can come with a hefty monthly price tag. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spends an average of $3,154 per year on dining out. Often times, the real winner of eating out is your stomach, and the loser is always inevitably your wallet.
The good news is that dining rewards programs are a fantastic way to supercharge rewards points earnings for every dollar you spend at participating restaurants. You can redeem these rewards points for things such as free travel or provide big-time cashback savings. The best part of dining rewards programs is that they are free and easy to sign up for, and almost effortless to take advantage of. Seriously, if you eat out at restaurants and not signed up for a dining rewards program you could be missing out big on rewards points.
What are the benefits of dining rewards programs?
The point of dining rewards is simple. Chances are you’re going to eat out at least a few times a month. You may as well earn points while doing so! The main benefit of dining rewards is that you can easily earn extra points.
So if you want an easy way to boost your rewards earning with a particular rewards program, dining rewards can certainly help you earn extra points that you can use on your next trip or purchase. By signing up and adding your credit cards to your account, you’ll earn points for every dollar spent at restaurants within the network of the program.
Plus if you are a frequent diner within the dining rewards program, in most cases you can even achieve elite status within the dining rewards program! Most offer different elite status tiers, which will help you earn more points per dollar. In most programs, you can also boost your earning by becoming an “online member”, which means you have opted into advertising and promotional email communications from the dining reward program.
You may think that dining programs only have expensive and fancy restaurants within their network. This is actually not true. You will find cheaper options, including fast food such as Jack in the Box, participating in many areas. This means that even a simple $10 meal can make you an inch closer to your next holiday vacation.
Signing up for dining rewards programs
Dining rewards programs have become quite popular over recent years, with more and more companies beginning to create their own. The good news is that all of the various dining rewards programs have a very similar sign-up process. You’ll have to go to their official website and create an account online. To do that, you’ll need to include certain details like your name, email address, and main rewards account number (so you can link the dining rewards to your main rewards account). Once your account is created, you need to add at least one credit card to it. However, we recommend adding as many credit cards as you can so you can ensure any and all of your eligible dining purchases will earn you points, regardless of what credit card you use to pay.
Once your account is created, you can start earning points with dining rewards right away. All you need to do is find any qualifying restaurants in your area, order food and drinks, and you’ll start earning points!
What dining rewards programs exist?
Now that you understand the basics of how dining rewards programs work and how you can earn with them, it’s important to understand the various programs that are available. There are quite a few options for you to choose from, but don’t worry, because we’ve done all the hard research for you, and have included all the relevant details below.
Overview of available dining rewards programs
| Affiliated rewards program | Number of tiers | Sign-up bonus |
Part of Rewards Network | Sign-up link |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAdvantage Dining | American Airlines | 3 | 1,000 | Yes | Click here. |
| Hilton Honors Dining |
Hilton | 3 | 1,000 | Yes | Click here. |
| Free Spirit Dining | Spirit Airlines | 3 | 1,000 | Yes | Click here. |
| iDine | n/a | 2 | None | Yes | Click here. |
| IHG Rewards Club Dining |
IHG | 3 | 1,000 | Yes | Click here. |
| Mileage Plan Dining |
Alaska Airlines | 3 | 1,000 | Yes | Click here. |
| MileagePlus Dining | United Airlines | 3 | 2,500 | Yes | Click here. |
| OpenTable Rewards | n/a | 1 | None | No | Click here. |
| Orbitz Rewards Dining | Orbitz | 1 | $5 in Orbucks | Yes | Click here. |
| Rapid Rewards Dining | Southwest Airlines | 2 | 1,000 | Yes | Click here. |
| SkyMiles Dining | Delta Airlines | 3 | 3,000 | Yes | Click here. |
| The Table from Golden Circle |
Shangri-La | 3 | None | No | Click here. |
| Total Rewards Dining | Total Rewards | 2 | None | Yes | Click here. |
| TrueBlue Dining | JetBlue Airlines | 2 | None | Yes | Click here. |
What is Rewards Network?
The Rewards Network is a third party company that partners with and powers most major dining programs. Rewards Network does all the hard work of finding partner restaurants to add within the dining networks. The upside of this is that the major airlines and hotel brands don’t have to find restaurants and negotiate partnership contracts themselves. This means that all the dining rewards programs powered by Rewards Network share 10,000+ restaurants, clubs, lounges, and bars.
The upside is that your preferred dining rewards program has a ton of locations for you to choose from. The downside for us is that you can’t ‘double-dip’ between dining rewards programs on the same restaurant bill. Rewards Network automatically prevents this from happening by not allowing you to add the same credit or debit card to multiple dining rewards accounts. If you try to do this, they will automatically remove the card from the previous account it was associated with.
For example, Rewards Network powers both Delta SkyMiles Dining and Hilton Honors Dining. This means if you find a restaurant to dine at within the network and use your credit card to pay for it, you will only get points or miles for the dining rewards program that the card is currently registered with. What a bummer, we know! You can easily find which dining programs are in the Rewards Network by looking at the table above.
AAdvantage Dining
American Airline’s dining rewards program is called AAdvantage Dining. It offers members the opportunity to earn AAdvantage miles per each dollar spent in bars, restaurants, and clubs within the AAdvantage Dining network. This dining rewards program is free for anyone to join, but you must have an AAdvantage account already opened so you can link the two together. Once your account is set up and linked, you’ll have to add at least one credit card to it. AAdvantage Dining allows you to register up to five credit cards to start earning your bonus miles. This is key because the only way you’ll earn miles is by spending on a linked credit card.
How do you earn miles with AAdvantage Dining
Signing up for AAdvantage Dining is a pretty simple three-step process:
- Create an account by providing your information including your name, a valid email address, and AAdvantage account number.
- Register five or less credit or debit cards that you intend to use at any of the selected bars, restaurants and clubs within the AAdvantage Dining network.
- Start earning miles when you dine at a qualifying location and pay for the bill with the same card linked to your account.
You can choose any MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover credit or debit card to add to your account. The number of points you earn through the AAdvantage Dining program is the same regardless of the card you choose. However, we recommend choosing a card that offers you the most possible rewards for eating at a restaurant. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
AAdvantage Dining offers an online directory that you can use to search for eligible dining spots by name, ZIP code, city, or state. You will also get to read member reviews and ratings, browse menu prices, and see days of the week that you can earn rewards at a particular location. For example, some participating restaurants do not offer the opportunity to earn reward points over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you double-check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many miles can you earn in the AAdvantage Dining program
The miles you earn dining out with the AAdvantage Dining program are added to the miles balance in your AAdvantage account. And once you start earning miles, they should be credited to your AAdvantage account within 6-8 weeks. The actual number of miles earned per dollar depends on your tier within the program. Here’s the breakdown of tiers within the AAdvantage Dining program.
| Membership level | Requirements | Mileage earning | Bonus eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIP Member | You are opted into receiving emails from AAdvantage Dining, provided a valid email address, AND have completed 11+ dining purchases within the network in the calendar year. | 5 miles per $1 |
|
| Online Member | You are opted into receiving emails from AAdvantage Dining and provide a valid email address. | 3 points per $1 |
|
| Member |
You have not opted into receiving emails from AAdvantage Dining or haven’t provided a valid email address. | 1 points per $1 |
|
So if you’re an Online Member and you spend $50 on a bill at a qualifying restaurant within the AAdvantage Dining network, you should expect to earn 3 miles per dollar. This means you’ll earn 150 AAdvantage miles from this transaction.
AAdvantage Dining sign-up bonus
The AAdvantage Dining program offers a special sign-up bonus to all new members who spend over $25 at eligible dining spots within the first 30 days of signing up. If you complete this benchmark, you’ll earn yourself 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles to kick-start your earning!
Hilton Honors Dining
Hilton Honors Dining is the dining rewards program offered by the Hilton Honors program. The program gives Hilton Honors members the chance to earn additional bonus points within the Hilton Honors program by dining at eligible restaurants, lounges, bars, and clubs within the network. Hilton offers this dining program for free, but you need to have a Hilton Honors account in order to have a Hilton Honors Dining account. Make sure to check out our full review on the Hilton Honors Dining program here.
How do you earn points with Hilton Honors Dining
Signing up for Hilton Honors Dining is an easy process:
- Create your free account by filling out the online sign-up form, which includes information like your name and a valid email address.
- Add at least one credit or debit card to your account that you can use within the Hilton Honors Dining network.
- Use your linked credit or debit cards to pay for the bill at eligible locations and you’ll start earning Hilton Honors bonus points!
You can choose any MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover credit or debit card to add to your dining account. The card you choose does not affect how many points you will earn in the program. However, we recommend choosing a card that offers you the most possible rewards for eating at a restaurant. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
Hilton Honors Dining has an online search that you can use to find eligible dining spots by name, ZIP code, city, or state. You will also get to read member reviews and ratings, browse menu prices, and see days of the week that you can earn points at a particular location. For example, some participating restaurants do not offer the opportunity to earn reward points over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you double check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many points can you earn in the Hilton Honors Dining program
The amount of points you earn for each dining purchase depends on your tier within the Hilton Honors Dining program. Once you start earning points, they should be credited to your Hilton Honors account within 6-8 weeks and they are added on to your existing balance in your account. Here’s the breakdown of tiers within the Hilton Honors Dining program.
| Membership level | Requirements | Points earning |
|---|---|---|
| Elite Member | You dine 11 or more times in a year and opt-in to email notifications from Hilton Honors Dining. | 8 points per $1 |
| Online Member | You dine 10 or fewer times in a year and opt-in to email notifications from Hilton Honors Dining. | 5 points per $1 |
| Member |
You don’t opt-in to email notifications. | 2 points per $1 |
For example, if you are an Elite Member within the Hilton Honors dining program and you spend $100 on a dining purchase at a restaurant within the network, you can expect to earn 800 Hilton Honors bonus points. If you were only at the Member tier, you’d only earn 200 points. That’s a 600 point difference!
Hilton Honors Dining sign-up bonus
As a new Hilton Honors dining member, you are currently eligible to receive a 1,000 point bonus upon signing up if you spend $25 or more at a qualifying location within the first 30 days. You’ll also need to make sure to fill out a review of the restaurant online on the Hilton Honors dining site. You’ll get an email from the program inviting you to provide a review. You must complete the review in order to get bonus points.
Free Spirit Dining
Even budget-friendly Spirit Airlines has a dining rewards program, called Free Spirit Dining. It’s connected to the Free Spirit rewards program that Spirit Airlines has for their frequent and loyal travelers. You must have a Free Spirit account in order to earn additional bonus miles through the Free Spirit Dining program.
How do you earn miles with Free Spirit Dining
To join Free Spirit Dining, follow the directions below:
- Create a free account by filling out the sign-up form, which asks for information like your name, a valid email address, and zip code.
- Add at least one (or more) credit or debit cards to your account that you can use within the Free Spirit Dining network.
- Use the same linked credit or debit cards to pay for the bill at eligible locations and you’ll start earning Free Spirit bonus miles!
It’s important to add and use a card that will give you amazing benefits for dining out to help amplify what you are earning through this dining rewards program. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out. In addition to this, we recommend adding up to five cards to your Free Spirit Dining account so that you don’t miss earning any points.
In order for you to earn points through Free Spirit Dining, you’ll need to first check what restaurants, clubs, lounges, and bars are in their network. This is key as you will not earn any miles for locations outside of the network. To check if a certain dining spot is in the Free Spirit network, you can use the search bar on their main website. When you do a search, you’ll also find other helpful information such as menus, cost ranges, ratings, reviews, and more. The other thing you’ll want to check is the days you’re eligible to earn points at a particular location. Some participating restaurants do not offer the opportunity to earn reward points on certain days, so it’s important to make sure you double check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many miles can you earn in the Free Spirit Dining program
Once you start earning miles, they’ll appear directly on your Free Spirit account within 6-8 weeks and they are added on to your existing balance in your account. The amount of miles you’ll earn within the Free Spirit Dining program depends on which level you are. Here’s the breakdown of the three levels within Free Spirit Dining:
| Membership level | Requirements | Mileage earning | Bonus eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIP Member | You are opted into receiving emails from Free Spirit Dining, provided a valid email address, AND have completed 11+ dining purchases within the network in the calendar year. | 5 miles per $1 |
|
| Online Member | You are opted into receiving emails from Free Spirit Dining and provide a valid email address. | 3 miles per $1 |
|
| Member |
You have not opted into receiving emails from Free Spirit Dining or haven’t provided a valid email address. | 1 miles per $2 |
|
So if you are a Member within Free Spirit Dining, and you spend $30 on a dining purchase at a restaurant within the network, you can expect to earn 15 Free Spirit bonus miles. If you were an Online Member, you’d earn 90 miles and a VIP Member would earn a whopping 150 points. The higher level you are, the more points you’ll earn per dollar, which adds up quickly!
Free Spirit Dining sign-up bonus
New members to Free Spirit Dining are eligible to participate in the special sign-up bonus. To earn a bonus 1,000 Free Spirit miles, you must dine and spend at least $30 at any participating restaurant, bar, or club within the first 30 days of signing up for Free Spirit Dining. You must also use a linked credit or debit card and complete a review of the dining location on the Free Spirit Dining restaurant in order to get your bonus miles.
iDine
The iDine program is unique from most of the dining rewards programs because it’s not affiliated to any other rewards program. There is no frequent flyer or hotel rewards account that you can earn points with by dining within the iDine network. Instead, you’ll earn cash back on your in-network dining purchases. And your cash back comes in the form of an American Express Reward Card that you can use at any US merchant who accepts Amex. That’s a pretty sweet deal, especially if you don’t have an existing loyalty with any travel rewards program.
How do you earn cash back with iDine
To begin earning cash back with iDine, you must officially join the program:
- Create your free account online by entering information like your name, a valid email address, and zip code.
- Add a credit or debit card to your account that you can use within the iDine network.
- Use your linked credit or debit cards to pay for the bill at eligible locations and you’ll start earning cash back!
To make sure you don’t miss out on earning cash back, it’s a best practice to add as many credit or debit cards you can to your iDine account, up to the five allowed. On top of the cash back you earn through iDine, it’s a good idea to “double-up” on your rewards earning by paying with a credit card that gives you great benefits for dining out. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
An important thing to double check before dining out is whether a certain dining location is within the iDine network. To do this, you’ll need to go to the iDine website and do a search using the search bar at the top of the page. You can also find other helpful information like hours, menus, reviews, ratings, and much more. In addition to this, you should double check the dining spot is actually rewarding you points for the current day of the week. Some locations only offer earning cash back for certain days of the week, usually excluding Friday and Saturdays (the busiest days of the week).
How much cash back can you earn with iDine
With iDine, you’ll either 5% or 10% cash back on your dining purchases within the iDine network. So how do you know how much exactly you personally will get back in cash? It’s pretty simple. If you spend less than $750 per year and are opted into email communications from iDine, you’ll earn 5% cash back. If you spend more than $750 per year and are opted into email communications from iDine, you’ll earn 10% cash back. In both cases, you must opt in to receiving emails otherwise you won’t get any cash back! It’s also worth noting that iDine currently has no special promotions, including a new member offer.
Once you reach $20 in accumulated cash back from iDine, the program will mail you an American Express Rewards Card for the full amount you currently have saved up in your account. You’ll get your gift card by the following month. It’s important to note that your leftover cash back will expire on 12/31 of every calendar year. So if you don’t have more than $20 in your account by the last day of the year, you’ll lose any remaining balance you have. It’s a bit of a strange rule, we know.
IHG Rewards Club Dining
The IHG Rewards Club Dining program is the InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG) dining rewards program. This is the only other dining rewards program affiliated with a major hotel brand, in addition to Hilton Honors Dining, that we have found. IHG Rewards Club Dining rewards members with IHG Rewards Club bonus points for dining at eligible restaurants, lounges, bars, and clubs within the network. These points accelerate your IHG point earnings and can be used on future stays and much more. This dining rewards program is free, but you must already have an IHG Rewards Club account before you create your dining account so you can get your bonus points.
How do you earn points with IHG Rewards Club Dining
Signing up for the IHG Rewards Club Dining program is straightforward:
- Create your free account by completing the sign-up form, which asks for information like your name and a valid email address.
- Add at least one credit or debit card to your account that you can use within the IHG Rewards Club Dining network.
- Use your linked credit or debit cards to pay for the bill at eligible locations and you’ll start earning IHG Rewards Club bonus points!
You can add any of the major credit card and debit card brands (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover) to your IHG Rewards Club Dining account. Any card will do, and we recommend adding up to the maximum allowed of five. We also recommend using a card that offers you the most possible rewards for eating at a restaurant. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
When eating out with friends, colleagues, or family, make sure you check out the IHG Rewards Club Dining website to see which restaurants are eligible and within the network. You can use their online directory to search for eligible spots to eat that are in a specific geographic area. You can also use this online directory to check out reviews and ratings, see menu prices, and verify what days of the week you can earn points. For example, some participating restaurants do not offer the opportunity to earn reward points over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you double check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many points can you earn in the IHG Rewards Club Dining program
With IHG Rewards Club Dining, the number of points you earn for each dining purchase depends on your tier within the dining program. Once you start earning points, they should be credited to your IHG Rewards Club account within 6-8 weeks and they are added on to your existing balance in your account. Here’s the breakdown of tiers within the IHG Rewards Club Dining program.
| Membership level | Requirements | Points earning | Bonus eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Member | You are opted into receiving emails from IHG Rewards Club Dining, provided a valid email address, AND have completed 11+ dining purchases within the network in the calendar year. | 8 points per $1 |
|
| Online Member | You are opted into receiving emails from IHG Rewards Club Dining and provide a valid email address. | 5 points per $1 |
|
| Member |
You have not opted into receiving emails from IHG Rewards Club Dining or haven’t provided a valid email address. | 1 points per $1 |
|
For example, if you are an Online Member within the IHG Rewards Club Dining program and you spend $20 on a dining purchase at a restaurant within the network, you can expect to earn 100 IHG Rewards Club bonus points. If you were at the Member tier, you’d only earn 20 points. But if you were an Elite Member, you’d earn 160 points. You can see how being a higher tier member can quickly add up to additional points!
IHG Rewards Club Dining sign-up bonus
As a new IHG Rewards Club Dining member, you are eligible to earn up to 1,000 IHG Rewards Club bonus points. All you need to do is spend at least $30 at eligible restaurants (within the IHG network) within your first 30 days of membership and you’ll automatically get the 1,000 points credited to your account. What a sweet (and tasty) deal!
Mileage Plan Dining
Alaska Airlines also has its own dining rewards program, known as Mileage Plan Dining. With Alaska’s dining program, you’ll earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles for dining out at restaurants, bars, clubs, and lounges within the network. Like most dining rewards programs, you must already have an account with the affiliate rewards program, which in this case is the Alaska Mileage Plan program.
How do you earn miles with Mileage Plan Dining
To sign up for the Mileage Plan Dining program, follow the simple steps below:
- Create your free account via the online sign-up form, which will collect information like your name, a valid email address, and your Alaska Mileage Plan account number.
- Register at least one credit or debit card to your account that you can use within the Mileage Plan Dining network.
- Use the same linked credit or debit cards to pay for your bill at eligible restaurants and you’ll start earning Alaska Mileage Plan bonus miles!
Before you eat out, check out the Mileage Plan Dining website to see which restaurants are eligible and within the network, by using the online directory. You can search for eligible locations to eat that are in a specific geographic area and are in the Mileage Plan Dining network. You can check out reviews and ratings, see menu prices, and verify what days of the week you can earn points. For example, some participating restaurants do not offer the opportunity to earn reward points over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you double check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
You can add any credit or debit card to your Mileage Club Dining account, up to the maximum allowed of five. We recommend using a card that offers you the most possible rewards for eating at a restaurant. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
How many miles can you earn in the Mileage Plan Dining program
Once you choose a restaurant and pay for your meal using a registered credit card, you’ll earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles not only on the value of your meal but on tips and tax as well. The number of points you accrue will depend on your membership tier within the dining program. Miles earned from the dining program will appear in your overall Alaska Mileage Plan account within 6-8 weeks and help keep your overall points from expiring since miles from dining count as account activity. Here’s the breakdown of tiers within the Mileage Plan Dining program.
| Membership level | Requirements | Mileage earning | Bonus eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIP Member | You are opted into receiving emails from Mileage Plan Dining, provided a valid email address, AND have completed 11+ dining purchases within the network in the calendar year. | 5 miles per $1 |
|
| Online Member | You are opted into receiving emails from Mileage Plan Dining and provide a valid email address. | 3 miles per $1 |
|
| Member |
You have not opted into receiving emails from Mileage Plan Dining or haven’t provided a valid email address. | 1 miles per $2 |
|
For example, if you are a VIP Member within Mileage Plan Dining, and you spend $80 on a dining purchase at a restaurant within the network, you can expect to earn 400 Alaska Mileage Plan bonus points. If you were an Online Member, you’d only earn 240 points and a Member would only earn 40 points. You can see how being a higher tier member can quickly add up to additional points!
Mileage Plan Dining sign-up bonus
When you sign up with the Mileage Plan Dining program, you can earn up to 1,000 bonus miles within your first month. To do this, you just need to spend $30 or more at any participating restaurant in your first 30 days. You are also required to write a review of the restaurant on the Mileage Plan Dining website within the same 30-day period in order to claim your reward. This is a pretty easy way to earn some extra Alaska Mileage Plan bonus points!
MileagePlus Dining
United Airlines’ dining program is known as MileagePlus Dining (yes, a very similar name to Alaska’s Mileage Plan Dining). MileagePlus Dining offers members up to 5 bonus miles per dollar spent at restaurants within the dining program. These bonus miles are added to the existing balance of a member’s United MileagePlus account, so you can use those points in the same way you use your regular MileagePlus miles. The MileagePlus Dining program is free, but you must already have a United MileagePlus account in order to join.
How do you earn miles with MileagePlus Dining
It’s a pretty quick and easy sign-up process for MileagePlus Dining:
- Create your free account online by providing information such as your name, a valid email address, and your United MileagePlus account number.
- Add one (or more) credit or debit card to your account that you can use within the MileagePlus Dining network.
- Use the same linked credit or debit card to pay for your meals at eligible restaurants and you’ll start earning United MileagePlus bonus miles!
Make sure to add any credit or debit card to your Mileage Club Dining account, up to the maximum allowed of five. It’s best to use a card that offers you the most possible rewards for eating at a restaurant. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
Once your MileagePlus Dining account is set up and your credit card is registered, you are ready to start earning points by eating out at over 10,000 participating clubs, bars, and restaurants nationwide. The MileagePlus Dining website not only provides you with a full list of dining locations within their network, but also breaks down the menu prices, the type of cuisine available, and ratings and reviews from other program members. It will also show you which days you are eligible to earn miles at participating restaurants. For example, some participating locations do not offer miles over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many miles can you earn in the MileagePlus Dining program
MileagePlus Dining program is part of the greater United MileagePlus program. This means that even if you have not flown with United in a while, your activity in the dining program will get credited to your overall United MileagePlus account. The miles you earn from MileagePlus Dining will also help keep your MileagePlus miles from expiring as dining miles are counted as ‘activity’ within your account.
The number of points you earn for dining purchases will depend on your membership tier within the dining program. Miles will appear in your overall United MileagePlus account within 6-8 weeks. Here’s the breakdown of tiers within MileagePlus Dining.
| Membership level | Requirements | Mileage earning | Bonus eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIP Member | You are opted into receiving emails from MileagePlus Dining, provided a valid email address, AND have completed 11+ dining purchases within the network in the calendar year. | 5 miles per $1 |
|
| Online Member | You are opted into receiving emails from MileagePlus Dining and provide a valid email address. | 3 miles per $1 |
|
| Member |
You have not opted into receiving emails from MileagePlus Dining or haven’t provided a valid email address. | 1 miles per $2 |
|
For example, if you are at the Member tier within MileagePlus Dining, and you spend $150 at a participating restaurant, you’ll only earn 75 points (valued at 1 mile per $2 spent). If you were an Online Member, you’d earn 450 miles. If you were a VIP Member, you’d earn 750 miles. That’s a 675-mile swing from the lowest level to top level, which is a huge difference!
MileagePlus Dining sign-up bonus
Signing up for MileagePlus Dining can earn you up to 2,500 bonus miles within your first month. You’ll earn 1,000 miles when you spend your first $25 within the first 30 days in the program, and then you can score 500 bonus miles on each of your next three restaurant visits. That’s a total of 2,500 bonus points, which is a fabulous promotion that you’ll rarely find!
OpenTable Rewards
OpenTable Rewards is the perhaps the most unique dining rewards program on our list. That’s because it rewards members completely differently than the dining rewards programs that are linked to travel industry rewards programs.
OpenTable is a popular online platform and app that allows you to find and book reservations at restaurants around the world. It’s pretty simple to use. You go on to their site, do a search for a geographic location, date, time and number of people your party and you can reserve a table at a restaurant within seconds. OpenTable also rewards members who book and complete reservations through their platform. Once you earn enough points through the program, you can get an OpenTable gift card to use for a future reservation or get an Amazon gift card.
To get started, you’ll need to create an OpenTable account on their official website. You’ll need to enter information in a few fields, including name, email address, and primary dining location. Once you fill in all the required information, your account is ready to go, and you can start earning points.
How do you earn points with OpenTable Rewards
To earn points, you’ll need to log-in to your account and make a reservation at one of the restaurants on Open Table. With over 30,000+ locations globally, you shouldn’t have many issues finding somewhere to dine. In most cases, each reservation is worth 100 OpenTable Rewards points. Regardless if you spend $20 or $200 on one of your meals, you’ll still likely to only get 100 points.
There are a select few restaurants where you can earn more than 100 points. Certain restaurants offer 1,000 point reservations during specific times of the day. The increased point value is a special promotion from the restaurant, so OpenTable has no influence over which restaurants choose to offer 1,000 point tables, and how often they choose to offer them. You’ll typically have to search hard to find these as there are very few and they are not ‘always-on’. You can find these reservations by doing a reservation search on OpenTable. Restaurants that are offering 1,000 dining points at the time that you’re searching will be featured at the top of the search results. You can also look for the “1,000 Points Times” label beneath the time slot buttons.
You’ll only get your rewards points once you’ve checked in for your reservation. If you cancel or don’t show up, you won’t earn anything. You also must be logged in to your account when making the reservation through OpenTable, otherwise, you won’t get credit.
Redeeming OpenTable Rewards dining points
Once you have 2,000 dining points saved up on OpenTable Rewards, you can trade them in for an OpenTable gift card, which can be put towards meals at many OpenTable restaurants. You can also redeem points for Amazon Gift Cards and, from time to time, donate points to charitable causes. To collect your points, you’ll need to log-in to your OpenTable account. You won’t see the option to redeem points until you hit the 2,000 mark in your account.
The full value of the gift card you receive when you redeem your points will vary according to the restaurant, date and time of the reservation you choose. OpenTable has provided the following chart to show what the number of dining points generally will translate into:
It’s worth noting that your OpenTable points will expire if you go more than 12 months without collecting any points for a reservation made using OpenTable. In addition to this, OpenTable now requires members to redeem dining points within three years from the end of the calendar quarter that they were collected in. Calendar quarters end on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year. For example, if you earned dining points before January 1, 2019, you must redeem them by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on March 31, 2022.
Orbitz Rewards Dining
Orbitz recently launched a dining rewards program, called Orbitz Rewards Dining, in which they offer 5% back in Orbucks when you dine at more than 11,000 restaurants, bars, and clubs in the Orbitz network. Orbitz Rewards Dining is a bit different than traditional dining rewards programs because it offers a percentage cash back in rewards points, called Orbucks, instead of a point multiplier per dollar spent. This dining rewards program has given members a ton of value as they actually get more Orbucks back for purchases within the dining program than for purchasing flights on Orbitz.com. As with most other dining programs, you must have an Orbitz Rewards account in order to join Orbitz Rewards Dining.
How do you earn Orbucks with Orbitz Rewards Dining
To start earning, you must first sign-up for an account by following the steps below:
- Create your free account by entering information like your name, a valid email address, and your zip code.
- Add at least one credit or debit card to your account that you can use within the Orbitz Rewards Dining network.
- Use the same linked credit or debit card to pay for meals at eligible restaurants and you’ll start earning bonus Orbucks!
A big piece of dining rewards is ensuring you add the right credit or debit cards to the account. You can add to up five cards to your Orbitz Rewards Dining account. We recommend using a card that offers the best rewards for dining out. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
Once your account is created, you will have to dine at a qualifying restaurant in order to earn your bonus points from the Orbitz Rewards Dining program. To check if a certain restaurant, club, bar, or lounge is in the Orbitz network, you’ll have to visit the website and do a search. The online search function also will give you other helpful information like menu prices, cuisine type, reviews from other members, and which days you are eligible to earn miles at participating restaurants. For example, some participating locations do not offer miles over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many Orbucks can you earn in Orbitz Rewards Dining
The number of Orbucks you earn for dining purchases is very straightforward. You’ll earn 5% back in Orbucks on any dining purchase made in the Orbitz Rewards Dining program. This is different from most dining rewards program in which your membership tier determines how much you earn. Orbitz Dining Rewards has no levels, which means everyone earns the exact same. Your Orbucks will get deposited to your Orbitz Rewards account balance within 6-8 weeks.
So how does the 5% back in Orbucks work? Here’s an example for you. If you spend $200 at a qualifying restaurant within the Orbitz network, you should expect to earn 10 Orbucks, which equals 5% of $200.
Orbitz Rewards Dining sign-up bonus
For a limited time, you can earn $5 in bonus Orbucks as a new member sign-up bonus. All you need to do is spend $25 or more at any participating restaurant in the Orbitz dining network in your first 30 days. Once you do this, the extra $5 in Orbucks is yours!
Rapid Rewards Dining
Southwest Airlines’ dining rewards program is called Rapid Rewards Dining and is connected to their airline loyalty rewards program, Southwest Rapid Rewards. Enrolling in this dining program could earn you three points per $1 spent within their dining network.
How do you earn miles with Rapid Rewards Dining
Before you can begin earning miles, you’ll need to register for the Rapid Rewards Dining program by following the steps below:
- Create a free account using the online sign-up form and entering information like your name, a valid email address, and your zip code.
- Add at least one credit or debit card to your Rapid Rewards Dining account.
- Use the same linked card to pay for your meals at eligible restaurants and you’ll start earning Rapid Rewards miles!
It’s important to add multiple credit or debit cards to your account so you can always ensure you’ll get credit for dining with Rapid Rewards Dining. You can add to up five cards to your account, and we recommend using a card that offers the best rewards for dining out. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
So once your account is set up and at least one card is registered with it, you just have to start dining out! Easy right? Not all dining locations will give you credit though. You must make sure that the restaurant, bar, club, or lounge is in the Rapid Rewards Dining network. An easy way to verify this is to go to the Rapid Rewards Dining network and do a search to see what dining spots will earn you miles. You can also view menu prices, cuisine type, and member reviews and ratings. It’s also important to check out which days you are eligible to earn miles at a particular restaurant. For example, some participating locations do not offer miles over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many miles can you earn in Rapid Rewards Dining
You’ll get credit in the form of Rapid Rewards miles for any spend you accrue within the Rapid Rewards Dining network. This means the bonus miles you earn from dining will get added to your existing Rapid Rewards mileage balance. Your bonus miles will appear within your Rapid Rewards account within 6-8 weeks. The number of points you earn dining will depend on which of the two tiers you are in. Here’s the breakdown of the two Rapid Rewards Dining levels.
| Requirement | Mileage earning | Bonus miles |
|---|---|---|
| Members who opt to receive email notifications. | 3 miles per $1 |
|
| Members who opt not to receive email notifications. | 1 mile per $2 |
|
The difference between the two levels is actually pretty significant in terms of earning capacity. For example, if you do not opt-in to receive email notifications, and you spend $200 at a participating restaurant, you’ll only earn 100 miles (valued at 1 mile per $2 spent). If you opted into those email notifications, you’d instead earn 600 miles. That’s a 500-mile difference!
Rapid Rewards Dining special bonuses
Rapid Rewards Dining offer four special bonus types for members to take advantage of. This is more than any other dining program we’ve seen. We recommend taking advantage of all of these offers:
- New Member Bonus: earn up to 1,000 Rapid Rewards bonus miles within the first 30 days you have your Rapid Rewards Dining account. You’ll get 500 miles for spending at least $25 at your first restaurant in your first 30 days. Then you can earn an additional 250 miles twice for spending another $25 or more at a second and third dining location, for a total of 1,000 bonus miles.
- First Step Bonus: you can earn 500 Rapid Rewards bonus miles upon reaching a total of 1,500 miles (one time only).
- Thank You Bonus: score 300 extra bonus miles every time you earn an increment of 1,000 miles.
- Review Bonus: every time you leave a review of a place you dined at on the Rapid Rewards website, you’ll earn 10 bonus miles.
SkyMiles Dining
Delta offers its own dining rewards program known as SkyMiles Dining, which is connected to Delta’s SkyMiles rewards program. Through SkyMiles Dining, members can earn up to 5 miles per each dollar spent. SkyMiles Dining is free to join, however, in order to benefit from earning through SkyMiles Dining, you must already be a Delta SkyMiles member.
How do you earn miles with SkyMiles Dining
Just like all other dining rewards programs, you must create an account before you can earn any miles. Here’s how to do so:
- Create a free account by signing up online and entering information like your name, zip code, and a valid email address.
- Add one or more credit or debit cards to your account that you can use within the SkyMiles Dining network.
- Use the same linked credit or debit cards to pay for your meals at eligible restaurants and you’ll start earning SkyMiles miles!
Just like every other rewards program, we recommend adding and using a credit card that offers the best rewards for eating out. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out. In addition to this, you can add up to five cards on your account, so it’s best to add as many as possible just in case you find yourself using multiple cards to pay for your meals out.
To check which restaurants, clubs, bars, and lounges are within the SkyMiles Dining network, you can visit their website and do a search to see what’s available near you. After doing a search, you’ll also be able to see key information like the menu, costs, cuisine type, hours, reviews, ratings and more. Be sure to also check out which days you are eligible to earn miles at a particular restaurant using the search directory. For example, some participating locations do not offer miles over the weekends, so it’s important to make sure you check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many miles can you earn in SkyMiles Dining
The number of miles you can earn via SkyMiles Dining will depend on what membership level you are in. Once your transaction is posted, you’ll see your miles in your Delta SkyMiles account within 6-8 weeks. Your dining miles will be added to the existing balance on your SkyMiles account. To see how much you can expect to earn from dining with SkyMiles Dining, check out the table below:
| Membership level | Requirements | Mileage earning | Bonus eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIP Member | You are opted into receiving emails from SkyMiles Dining, provided a valid email address, AND have completed 11+ dining purchases within the network in the calendar year. | 5 miles per $1 |
|
| Online Member | You are opted into receiving emails from SkyMiles Dining and provide a valid email address. | 3 miles per $1 |
|
| Member |
You have not opted into receiving emails from SkyMiles Dining or haven’t provided a valid email address. | 1 miles per $2 |
|
It’s definitely advantageous for you to opt-in to receiving emails from SkyMiles Dining as you’ll earn more miles for your purchases. For example, if you are a Member of SkyMiles Dining, and you spend $100 at a participating restaurant, you’ll only earn 50 points (valued at 1 mile per $2 spent). If you were an Online Member, you’d earn 300 miles. If you were a VIP Member, you’d earn 500 miles. That’s a 450-mile difference from the lowest level to top level, which is huge!
SkyMiles Dining sign-up bonus
Delta is offering new members the chance to earn up to 3,000 miles for signing up and spending within their dining network in the first month. To earn your first 500 bonus miles, you’ll have to spend $30 or more at any qualifying restaurant. You’ll get another 1,000 bonus miles if you spend $30 or more at a second restaurant. Then you can get another 1,500 bonus miles for spending at least $30 at a third restaurant. All of this needs to be done within 30 days and you must complete an online review in the SkyMiles Dining site for each location you dine at in order to get credit.
The Table from Golden Circle
The Table from Golden Circle is the dining rewards program offered by the luxury hotel brand, Shangri-La. It’s affiliated with Shangri-La’s rewards program, called the Golden Circle. This dining rewards program is very unique and differs from the American hotel and airline dining programs. This is because The Table is not powered by the Rewards Network, unlike the majority of other dining rewards programs.
The Table from Golden Circle’s network only includes restaurants and bars located in Shangri-La hotels around the world, which according to their website is around 500 locations in total. That’s a sizable network, but it is extremely limiting in terms of choices. You’ll need to spend at these participating restaurants and bars in the Shangri-La network in order to earn Golden Circle award points from The Table.
To join The Table from Golden Circle, you don’t need to do anything special other than already be a member of Shangri-La’s Golden Circle program. To join Golden Circle, you can create a free account on the official website here. Once you are a Golden Circle member, you’ll automatically be signed up for The Table.
How do you earn points with The Table by Golden Circle
So once you are a Golden Circle member, you can start earning points from The Table. To do this, you’ll need to dine at participating restaurants and bars, which you can find by searching on The Table’s website. You can also find helpful information about the participating dining locations like hours, menu, dress code, cost, and more.
How many points you earn for your purchase at a qualifying dining spot will depend on what elite status you are within the Golden Circle program. There are three levels in the Golden Circle: Gold, Jade, and Diamond. So depending on which level you are at, you’ll earn a different amount of Golden Circle points per $1 spent within the dining network.
The Golden Circle points you earn through dining with The Table will be automatically deposited into your Golden Circle account and added to your existing balance. You can save up your points and redeem them on future dining experience or hotel stays at Shangri-La properties.
Total Rewards Dining
Total Rewards Dining is affiliated with the Total Rewards program. This is a rewards program for top resorts and casinos around the world, including Caesar, Harrah’s, Planet Hollywood and much more. If you are a frequent visitor of Las Vegas or Atlantic City, chances are you’ve heard of Total Rewards. Total Rewards Dining will help you earn additional Total Rewards credits when you dine out at participating locations within the dining network. You’ll first need to join the Total Rewards program before you can earn anything within Total Rewards Dining.
How do you earn credits with Total Rewards Dining
You first must set up your account:
- Create your free account by signing up online and filling in your name, a valid email address, zip code, and your Total Rewards account number.
- Add at least one credit or debit card to your Total Rewards Dining account.
- Use the same linked card to pay for your meals at eligible restaurants and you’ll start earning Total Rewards credits!
To make sure you don’t miss out on earning any Total Rewards credits, it’s important to link as many credit and debit cards as you can, up to the five allowed. This will ensure that you earn when you use one of these five cards and dine within the Total Rewards Dining network. On top of this, we recommend paying with a credit card that gives you awesome benefits for dining out. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
You only get Total Rewards credits for dining out at locations within the dining network. To check out which dining spots are in this network, you’ll have to visit the Total Rewards Dining website and do a search. You can also view other key pieces of information using the search, such as menus, prices, reviews, ratings, and much more. Finally, you want to make sure you verify that you can actually earn credits at a particular location for the day of the week that you are planning to dine out. Some restaurants in the network only allow you to earn on certain days of the week, so it’s important to double check that you aren’t dining there on a day of the week where you’re ineligible to earn anything.
How many credits can you earn with Total Rewards Dining
Total Rewards Dining is pretty straight-forward with earning credits. Everyone in their program will earn one reward credit for each one dollar spent. So if you spend $100 on a bill for dining in the Total Rewards network, you should earn 100 credits. Your credits will all be deposited directly into your Total Rewards account within 6-8 weeks of the transaction. Simple right?
The only exception to this is if you own the Total Rewards credit card. You’ll earn two rewards credits per $1 spent when you link your Total Rewards Visa card to your Total Rewards Dining account and use that same card to make dining purchases. On top of that, Visa will add one additional credit per dollar spent in your Total Rewards account. So you’ll actually earn credits points per dollar on your dining purchases, although only two credits per dollar will be officially given through the Total Rewards Dining program. Other than the special bonus you earn with the Total Rewards Visa card, Total Rewards Dining is not currently offering any other special promotions.
TrueBlue Dining
JetBlue Airlines has a very simple dining rewards program called TrueBlue Dining. This dining rewards program is connected to JetBlue’s main rewards program, known simply as TrueBlue. TrueBlue Dining is one of the only dining rewards programs that actually uses your elite status in their main rewards program (in this case TrueBlue) to establish how many miles you can earn on dining purchases. More on that will come below.
How do you earn miles with TrueBlue Dining
First, you need to set up your account:
- Create a free account by entering your personal details like your name, a valid email address, zip code, and your TrueBlue account number.
- Add at least one credit or debit card to your account that you can use within the TrueBlue Dining network.
- Use the same linked card to pay for your meals at eligible restaurants and you’ll start earning TrueBlue miles!
You should add more than one credit or debit card to your account so you can always get credit for dining within the TrueBlue network. The maximum limit is five cards, and we recommend adding five (unless you don’t have five card options). You can add any card from the major card issuers: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. It is advantageous for you to consistently use a credit card that offers good rewards to you for dining out. Check out our article on the 6 best credit cards for dating, which features some great credit cards that reward you for frequently dining out.
As with most other dining rewards programs, you’ll need to search for qualifying restaurants, bars, and clubs within the TrueBlue Dining network. To do this, use their search directory on the main website. Once you complete a search, related dining locations will show up and you can view menus, price ranges, reviews, ratings, hours, and more. You’ll also need to check out which days you are eligible to earn miles at a particular restaurant. For example, some participating locations do not offer miles over the weekends. This is why it’s important to make sure you check what days you can earn at a particular location before dining there.
How many miles can you earn in TrueBlue Dining
As we mentioned earlier, the number of miles you earn depends on your status within the JetBlue TrueBlue rewards program. If you’re a regular TrueBlue member, you’ll earn one mile per dollar spent. However, if you are a TrueBlue Mosaic member, you receive 2 miles per dollar spent. To qualify for TrueBlue Mosaic status, you have to fly 30 segments and accumulate 12,000 base flight points within a calendar year OR earn 15,000 base flight points within a calendar year. So if you fly JetBlue a lot and have qualified for Mosaic status, the TrueBlue Dining program is a no-brainer for you!
The miles you earn from dining out within the TrueBlue network will automatically get added to your TrueBlue mileage balance within 6-8 weeks of the transaction occurring. Unfortunately, JetBlue Dining currently does not offer any special point bonuses, including a sign-up bonus.
So which dining rewards program is for you?
With all of these dining rewards programs available, you have a big decision to make. Which is the best one for you to join? Our first suggestion is to choose a dining rewards program that is affiliated with a travel rewards program you already use. So if you fly American Airlines a lot, and you’re an AAdvantage member, it makes the most sense for you to join AAdvantage Dining.
If you’re like me and belong to multiple travel rewards programs, you’re going to have a tougher choice. In this case, you need to look into the value of how many potential points you can earn. Then you’ll be able to choose the dining rewards program that will give you the most points. It’s usually best to pick one because the overwhelming majority of dining rewards programs are powered by Rewards Network. This ‘master’ network doesn’t allow you to double-dip with its partner programs.
And if you’re not a loyal member to any of the existing rewards programs that have an affiliated dining rewards program, then it’s probably best to do one of two things. First, you can go with iDine, since it gives you cash back on your dining purchases in the form of gift cards. Or second (which is what we recommend), is to do your research on travel rewards programs, pick one to join and then join the affiliated dining rewards program to go along with it. The second option does, however, require some homework. Don’t pick a rewards program to join without doing your research. Make sure to search CompareBare for full reviews on the best rewards programs.
Some final tips to maximize your spending with a dining rewards programs
- Link as many of your credit and debit cards to a dining rewards program as you want. This will ensure you don’t miss out on the opportunity to earn points when dining.
- You cannot link the same credit card to more than one dining rewards program that is powered by Rewards Network.
- Use your dining rewards points as an opportunity to try out new restaurants. If you are celebrating a special occasion, this would be a good opportunity to earn points
- Pay for the entire bill when eating with multiple people and have them pay you back. You will earn more from the whole bill including tips and taxes if you include everyone’s meal rather than just your part of the bill.
- Use the apps provided by the various dining rewards programs to find out what dining locations are in their network.
- Make sure you sign up for a dining rewards program with an email address that is valid. Most programs offer higher point multipliers if you opt into emails.
- Check your emails for communication about new offers and promotions.
- Happy dining!
