Though originally conceived as local service that allowed customers to make free online dining reservations, the current international scope of the company means using their points programs can really enhance the food budget for any trip.
How Does OpenTable Work?
Log onto the OpenTable website and create a free account. Then dine out in cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe, using the online service to make reservations in advance.
Every restaurant that allows online reservations via this service has their own profile page that includes information such as dining hours, range of prices, reviews and links to the restaurant’s own site and online menus. This alone makes the site worth bookmarking.
But in addition to the thorough information offered, each completed dining experience using OpenTable earns the user points that can be redeemed for free monetary value dining certificates to use for future dining experiences.
To summarize: sign up for a free account, make a free reservation and earn points towards free dining. It doesn’t get any easier than that when finding ways to cut costs while planning a travel budget.
Points System Details
Each completed dining reservation (meaning the user has actually eaten a meal at the reserved time period with said restaurant) will earn the account holder 100 points. These points are awarded to the user account within 7 days of the completed reservation.
Once there are a minimum of 2,000 points, they can be redeemed for OpenTable Dining Cheques to use on future meals.
In the United States, 2,000 points earns a $20 Dining Cheque; 5,000 points a $50 Dining Cheque; and 10,000 points earns a $100 Dining Cheque. Other countries are set up on a different Dining Cheque monetary system, but all utilize the 2, 5 and 10 thousand point levels for issuance of the rewards.
There are a few terms and conditions worth noting, such as points may not be awarded if there are any changes made to a reservation by calling the restaurant directly instead of making the change via the website, but these are all clearly stated on OpenTable’s website.
How to Maximize Points Earned
In addition to regular reservations, OpenTable offers ways to maximize the points-earning experience to get rewards faster.
In most cities served by the site, they offer a selection of restaurants that earn 1,000 points per reservation instead of the regular 100. Dining out just twice at this points level can earn a free rewards certificate.
OpenTable also regularly serves as the online reservations service for many restaurants weeks nationwide in the U.S. While it won’t earn any bonus points for a reservation, coupling the use of OpenTable with the opportunity to enjoy a luxury foodie experience during the restaurant week means extra savings for the original meal and points towards the online dining rewards. A win-win situation.
And since the service is available in hundreds of major cities, use the service when eating out at home to earn points year-round. As long as the account is used every 12 months, the points will remain active in the account. This allows the user to continually bank points for future rewards.
If used properly, OpenTable can allow even the stingiest budget traveler the chance to enjoy a luxe dining experience while traveling.
Michelle Snow - Michelle Snow been a freelance journalist and photographer for over twenty years, specializing in travel and entertainment. She got her ...
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