Eating Out? Find the best credit cards to use at restaurants

What is the best credit card to use for Dining?

First of all make sure that all of your credit cards are signed up for Rewards Network. Once you sign up all of your credit cards for the Dining program called Rewards Network for free  you just enter the credit card number and it does all of the rewards automatically when you dine out at one of their restaurants. You can earn AAdvantage miles, Southwest’s Rapid Rewards points, Delta Skymiles, or on other airlines programs when you sign up from their website at RewardsNetwork.com.

Cards you can earn points at bars and nightclubs normally earn you rewards at restaurants. So keep this in mind when downing that vodka at the airport before a flight. Bar tabs can be expensive too especially when you have bottle service so that $200 tab can get $20 back using the double promotion plus 5% back from Discover It.

1. Discover It Card – they offer a Get More program where you can earn 5% cash back at restaurants once or twice a year. Keep in mind this is a special promotion and is only offered once or a few times a year. 5% cash back on dining and restaurants, up to $1,500, during April-June 2023.

2. Citi ThankYou Premier – 3x the points on every dollar spent at restaurants.

3.  Chase Freedom – from July through September, this card will earn you 5% cash back at restaurants up to $1,500 in purchases per quarter. You can also get the 5% back at Wholesale clubs such as Costco and Sam’s Club where you can buy food in bulk without dining out.

4. American Express Cards – You can sign up for AMEX Offers and get deals such as:

    • Get a one-time $15 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to make a single purchase of $50 or more in-restaurant at Brio Tuscan Grille .
    • Get a one-time $25 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to make a single purchase of $100 or more in-restaurant at Lawry’s The Prime Rib.
    • Get a one-time $5 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to make a single purchase of $25 or more in-restaurant at Souplantation & Sweet
    • Get a $10 statement credit each time you use your enrolled Card to make a single purchase of $50 or more in-restaurant at Seasons 52

5. If you own a business we recommend a good 3% back with the Chase Ink Cash Card on dining expenses up to $1,500 a month. This is year round so you don’t have to worry about quarterly signups.

6. BP Platinum Visa because it comes with a 4% rebate on dining and travel for the first 2 months then 2% after that. The BP Visa also comes with 10% rebate on BP gas purchases the first 2 months. If you dine out a lot then you want to make sure you are part of the Rewards Network signed up through AA or Delta to earn tons of additional bonus points.

Another important dining card you may want to check out would be the Diners Club card which was dinersclubacquired by Citi Cards a few years ago. Although, Diners Club has lost some of its benefits compared to most Citibank issued cards. Past cards include the Citi Forward  where you would earn 5 Reward points per $1 spent at restaurants but this card is no longer around for new signups. Other cards that have ended include the Chase Profit card that paid you for dining out. This was a special card we were sad to see dropped from Chase Bank.

A perfect gift idea for anyone? Try restaurant gift cards.