Beginners Guide To Using Dining Programs for Easy Points and Miles

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Dining programs are a great way to earn extra points and miles whenever you eat out. Unlike many of the most lucrative ways to earn points, dining rewards programs require almost no effort. You can pick a program, register the card you'll use to pay at restaurants, and watch the points pile up.

While this strategy isn’t likely to account for a huge percentage of the points you earn, a family that spends around $500 per month at restaurants could easily earn enough rewards for a domestic one-way ticket — or even a round trip with a clever redemption. Don't sleep on the value here!

Here’s our complete guide to top dining rewards programs.

How Do Dining Programs Work?

Dining programs earn a commission from participating restaurants when they refer customers to these restaurants. The programs then send a portion of their revenue back to members in the form of points or miles. Most programs in this guide track your spending via a registered credit card. When you use a card you've added to your profile to pay at a restaurant in the network, you'll automatically earn miles or points.

Thus, dining programs are among the easiest ways to earn extra points. You don’t need to keep track of anything!

You can sign up for a program, register your credit card, and get extra points with (almost) every meal. But, even if you don’t plan your meals specifically for the rewards, you’ll still automatically pick up extra points if you dine at a restaurant in the network.

Credit: Micheile Henderson/Unsplash

Airline Dining Programs

Several airlines offer dining programs that award miles for meals. Even better, some programs offer new member bonuses on the first visit to a participating restaurant.

American Airlines AAdvantage Dining

American Airlines AAdvantage Dining has plenty of participating restaurants. How many AAdvantage miles you'll earn per dollar spent depends on your membership level. The three levels are Basic member, Select member, and VIP member, which earn according to the following criteria:

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Dining

Alaska's Mileage Plan Dining is similar to AA's program. Alaska Airlines' version also has three membership levels where you'll earn at different rates. Each level earns valuable Mileage Plan miles as follows:

• Basic member: Earn 1X Alaska miles per $2 spent if you opt out of receiving emails from Mileage Plan Dining.
• Select member: Earn 3X Alaska miles per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails from Mileage Plan Dining.
• VIP member: Earn 5X Alaska miles per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails and have already completed 11 qualifying transactions in the calendar year. VIP Members start earning at the VIP level on their 12th qualifying transaction.

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Dining

Delta also has its own dining program, SkyMiles Dining, bearing three membership levels:

• Member: Earn 1X Delta SkyMiles per $2 spent if you opt out of receiving emails from SkyMiles Dining.
• Select member: Earn 3X Delta SkyMiles per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails from SkyMiles Dining.
• VIP member: Earn 5X Delta SkyMiles per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails and have already completed 11 qualifying transactions in the calendar year. VIP Members start earning at the VIP level on their 12th qualifying transaction.

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines does not have its own unique dining program. Instead, it has a “Marketplace” — a collection of retailers and restaurants. Here is the alphabetical directory of Hawaiian merchant partners that earn extra miles, which you can filter by category and choosing “food and beverage.”

While not every restaurant listed returns the same amount of miles, most partners in Hawaii return 2X or 4X miles per dollar spent with no requirements or restrictions. Partners outside Hawaii typically advertise 2.5X bonus miles per dollar spent, but many require paying with the Hawaiian Airlines^® World Elite Mastercard^® to unlock the bonus earnings.

On a positive note, you may be able to stack this program with another dining program, given that it doesn't appear to have any ties to Rewards Network (which runs most other dining programs).

Hawaiian Airlines^® World Elite Mastercard^®

How to Apply

Hawaiian Airlines^® World Elite Mastercard^®

Annual Fee$99

Welcome Bonus Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days

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Why We Like ItEarning Rates

The Hawaiian Airlines^® World Elite Mastercard^® earns 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2X miles on gas, dining, and grocery store purchases, and 1X miles on all other purchases. A unique benefit is the one-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines. Cardholders also enjoy a free checked bag on Hawaiian Airlines flights, adding value for regular travelers. With its focused rewards on airline purchases and related categories, this card is tailored for maximizing benefits from travel with Hawaiian Airlines.

• 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases
• 2x miles on gas, dining and grocery store purchases
• 1X miles on all other purchases

JetBlue TrueBlue Dining

TrueBlue Dining is simpler than the previous programs we've discussed since it only has two membership levels. Unfortunately, there's no VIP level in JetBlue's program.

• Earn 1X TrueBlue points per $1 spent at a participating location if you opt out of receiving emails from TrueBlue Dining.
• Members earn 3X TrueBlue points per $1 spent at a participating location if you opt in to receiving emails from TrueBlue Dining.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Dining

Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Dining is an excellent way to collect Rapid Rewards points. Here's a breakdown of how you can earn miles through the program:

• Earn 1X Rapid Rewards points per $2 spent at a participating location if you opt out of receiving emails from Rapid Rewards Dining.
• Earn 3X Rapid Rewards points per $1 spent at a participating location if you opt in to receiving emails from Rapid Rewards Dining.
  • Plus, you can earn an additional 10 Rapid Rewards points for each dining review you leave.

Additionally, Rapid Rewards Dining offers additional bonus points for hitting milestones:

• First Step Bonus: Earn a one-time bonus of 500 points after you've earned 1,500 points from dining and completing reviews.
• Thank You Bonus: Earn 300 bonus points for each subsequent 1,000 points you accrue.

You can earn the First Step and Thank You bonuses even if you choose not to opt-in to receiving Rapid Rewards Dining emails.

Spirit Airlines Free Spirit Dining

Not to be outdone by its competitors, Spirit Airlines has its own program called Free Spirit Dining. The program is very similar to other airlines’ programs, featuring three earning levels dependent on your use of the program and how much information you share:

• Basic member: Earn 1X Free Spirit points per $2 spent if you opt out of receiving emails.
• Select member: Earn 3X Free Spirit points per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails.
• VIP member: Earn 5X Free Spirit points per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails from Free Spirit Dining and have completed 11 qualifying transactions in the calendar year. VIP Members start earning at the VIP level on their 12th qualifying transaction.

United Airlines MileagePlus Dining

United Airlines MileagePlus Dining runs through Rewards Network, meaning the structure is similar to most of the other airline programs. After you join and link a card, you can earn MileagePlus miles at the following rates:

• Basic member: Earn 1X MileagePlus miles per $2 spent if you opt out of receiving emails.
• Select member: Earn 3X miles per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails.
• VIP member: Earn 5X MileagePlus award miles per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails from MileagePlus Dining and have completed 11 qualifying transactions in the calendar year. VIP Members start earning at the VIP level on their 12th qualifying transaction.

Hotel Dining Programs

Like many airlines, hotels also offer bonus miles for dining out. And depending on the program you sign up for, you may be able to collect a new member bonus.

Caesars Rewards Dining

The Caesars Rewards Dining program varies from the others since it has two levels based on whether you are a credit card holder or not:

• Earn one Reward Credit per dollar spent at participating restaurants.
• Register your Caesars Rewards Visa^® card and earn 4X Reward Credits at participating restaurants.

Hilton Honors Dining

Hilton Honors Dining program offers varying levels of rewards depending on your interaction level:

• Basic members: Earn 2X Hilton Honors bonus points per $1 spent if you opt out of receiving emails.
• Select members: Earn 5X bonus points per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails.
• VIP members: Earn 8X bonus points per $1 spent if you opt in to receiving emails and have completed 11 qualifying transactions in the calendar year. VIP Members start earning at the VIP level on their 12th qualifying transaction.

These rates look better at face value than many airline earning rates. However, note that one Hilton point is generally worth less than one airline mile. On average, AwardWallet users redeem Hilton points for 0.59¢ apiece. Thus, the 2X and 5X earning rates aren't that impressive.

Marriott Bonvoy Eat Around Town

The Marriott Bonvoy Eat Around Town program lets members can earn the following:

• Non-status-holding Marriott Bonvoy members will receive 4X Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 spent.
• Members holding Bonvoy elite status — Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, or Ambassador Elite — will earn 6X points per $1 spent.

There is no limit to the total number of points you can earn. However, be aware that restaurants may have individual limits.

Cash-Back/Financial Services Programs

Chase Dining

The Chase Dining portal made its debut in late 2020. Chase Sapphire, Freedom, and Ink cardholders can use Chase's Tock-powered site to order takeout, delivery, and make reservations with thousands of restaurants.

You can pay by redeeming points, or you can make your purchase using your Chase card and earn points instead. Additionally, Chase Sapphire Reserve^® (Rates & Fees) cardholders can earn 3X points on dining worldwide. Unfortunately, bonuses earnings of this caliber don't extend to other cards.

Credit: Chase

Bilt Dining

Bilt Dining is a growing program that awards Bilt Rewards points on purchases at thousands of participating restaurants. Members can bank up to 10 points per dollar spent through Bilt Dining — or sometimes more if there's a favorable Rent Day promotion. The points you'll earn depends on multiplier indicated in the Bilt app. But to earn, you'll need to link a card to your Bilt wallet or make your purchase with The Bilt Mastercard^®.

Originally, Bilt Dining restaurants were limited to big cities. The recent expansion of Neighborhood Dining means you can earn Bilt points at restaurants closer to you, which means even more opportunities to earn points without going out of your way to do so.

Dosh

You can earn cash rewards on dining purchases with the Dosh mobile app. Once you've loaded the cards you intend to pay with, pick a restaurant listed on the map and earn a percentage back in cash. There is no fixed amount, but a quick survey will show that most restaurants range between 3% and 5%. Even though this is part of Rewards Network, some purchases may stack with airline or hotel dining programs.

Rakuten

You may know Rakuten as an online shopping portal. However, you can also use it to earn rewards for dining out. You can also choose to earn American Express Membership Rewards points instead of cash back if you have a credit card that earns Amex points. Click here to view the venues offering cash back or Amex points for dining.

Credit: Rakuten

Other Notable Dining Programs

Dining programs are a dime a dozen. However, the juice isn't always worth the squeeze, as some rewards are generally lackluster. Other programs, such as Shell Fuel Rewards, are worth a look.

Shell Fuel Rewards

If you aren't already saving in one of the other programs and would like to earn discounts on gas, the Shell Fuel Rewards program is another alternative. Earn a 10¢-per-gallon discount (on up to 20 gallons) for every $50 spent dining out. You can add to your earnings by linking one of the top cards for spending at restaurants.

Since Shell limits fill-up discounts to 20 gallons, your maximum discount here is $2 (10¢ per gallon x 20 gallons). This equates to a 4% return on spending ($2 divided by the $50 spent to earn it). While not a fantastic return compared to other programs, it's better than nothing.

Before signing up for Fuel Rewards, it's worth familiarizing yourself with the terms and conditions below:

• Dine at our participating restaurants and pay with a linked Mastercard, Visa, or American Express card.
• Earn 10¢/gal for every $50 you spend across all participating restaurants, bars, and clubs.
• Rewards earned while dining out will be posted to your account within ten days.
• To earn Fuel Rewards savings while dining out, you must opt-in to receive emails about participating restaurants.
• The Dining program is powered by Rewards Network.

How to Maximize Your Dining Earnings

Here are some final tips for getting the most out of dining programs:

• Link your best credit card(s) for earning points at restaurants. The points you earn from dining programs stack with the points you already earn through your credit card. You can earn 4X-5X points with every dining purchase just by paying with the right card. Maximize by using a card like the American Express^® Gold Card.
• Pick one or two programs and let the points earning work on autopilot. For most travelers, these points will complement other earnings. If you truly want to maximize your return, check for new member sign-up bonuses and create each new account when there are extra points for joining and meeting a modest spending requirement.
• Know which credit card you have registered with each program. Rewards Network manages most dining programs. You can only register the same credit card for one Rewards Network dining program at a time, so it isn't possible to add the same card to all the programs and stack your earnings. Instead, register a different card with each program and know which is which if you want to maximize your rewards.
• Use dining points to stop miles from expiring. You can use dining programs to earn miles in programs you infrequently use. This can be a useful method to stop your miles from expiring. If you have miles to protect but don't generate account activity from flying or credit card spending, you may be able to reset your expiration date with points earned from dining programs.

If you plan to set up an account with multiple dining programs, be sure to review our post on the best rewards cards for restaurants and dining. Register each card with a dining program, and your next trip will be in reach before you know it!

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve^® (Rates & Fees)

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