PSA - 90% off gift certificates at Restaurants.com

[Master-Classter]

Saw this on Gawker - http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/177203

Basically if you go to restaurants.com, you can buy gift certificates or coupons for restaurants. Apply coupon code NINETY, for 90% off your purchase...

In many cases they have $25 certificates for $10, so you can get $100 in certificates for like $4!!
or in some cases $400 value for $16!!!

Ideas:
take your wife out for a really nice dinner, she deserves it! and will pay you back somehow...

graciously pay for everyone's meal, how to win friends and influence people
get everyone to pay for their meals and then you cover it with the coupons, ie FriendTM

Caveats
I believe the deal expires September 13th
The only problem I see here, is that in some cases there are restrictions, so say each $25 certificate can only be applied per $X, or there's a minimum purchase amount.
Tax and tips are extra...

 

[VMan]

Did this last year - turned out to be a good deal.

I believe most all certificates are for $25 off $35 or more.

So, if your bill comes to $35, you get the meal for $10 +$1 for the certificate - not a bad deal.

 

[tonio028]

Thanks for posting this. I was browsing and saw $100 for $4. Wow that just seems ridiculous to be legit. Geez.

So how does it work at checkout? Do they just email you a coupon that you print and hand at dinner? I would hope so unless a giftcard is delivered same day via time travel in order to be able to use by the 13th if this is indeed the expiration.

 

[chorse123]

A lot of those bigger ones require a larger minimum purchase (like $200). Not a bad deal, but not really 90% off exactly.

 

[tonio028]

Originally Posted by chorse123

A lot of those bigger ones require a larger minimum purchase (like $200). Not a bad deal, but not really 90% off exactly.

I noticed that. For the $50 GC it states "Valid with a minimum purchase of $100" so my last question would be whether or not that is per GC, meaning that for EACH $50 GC purchased you have to spend a minimum of $100? If so, then I guess that would mean that if I purchased two $50 GCs, that I would need to purchase a minimum $200 of food to use them both unless I could still use them both with a mimimum $100 purchase still.

I think I made it sound more complex then it is.

 

[Master-Classter]

Originally Posted by tonio028

Thanks for posting this. I was browsing and saw $100 for $4. Wow that just seems ridiculous to be legit. Geez. So how does it work at checkout? Do they just email you a coupon that you print and hand at dinner? I would hope so unless a giftcard is delivered same day via time travel in order to be able to use by the 13th if this is indeed the expiration.
Hop on the site and try. Just add stuff to your cart, then at the cart is asks for a discount/coupon, enter Ninety... I believe you can print out the certificate off online immediately. Also, I'm not sure if it's the DEAL that expires on the 13th (pretty sure), or if's the applicability of the deal.

Originally Posted by chorse123

A lot of those bigger ones require a larger minimum purchase (like $200). Not a bad deal, but not really 90% off exactly.
Yeah, that was the only caveat there... still, if it's a place you wouldn't normally go to (same price as a regular meal but you get a nicer restaurant), or somewhere you go to all the time (use 4 separate occasions)

Originally Posted by tonio028

I noticed that. For the $50 GC it states "Valid with a minimum purchase of $100" so my last question would be whether or not that is per GC, meaning that for EACH $50 GC purchased you have to spend a minimum of $100? If so, then I guess that would mean that if I purchased two $50 GCs, that I would need to purchase a minimum $200 of food to use them both unless I could still use them both with a mimimum $100 purchase still. I think I made it sound more complex then it is.
I think you're correct, so you'd have to spend $200 to claim two $50's... or have seperate bills. But let's say you take the wife out for a $100 dinner, now you can do that again with the mistress each $100 of meal costs $5 for the certificate plus $50 not covered, plus tax and tip ($20?)... so actually not that huge a deal, but still, nice.

 

[edmorel]

Quick side question, people use coupons at restaurants? Not being a snob or big timer wanna be, just never used one and always recoiled at the thought of offering a coupon as part of a payment for a meal.

 

[thekunk07]

i used to use my grandmother's entertainment rewards card for one free entree. ain;t no shame in saving money. wouldn;t do it at per se, per se.

 

[tonio028]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Quick side question, people use coupons at restaurants? Not being a snob or big timer wanna be, just never used one and always recoiled at the thought of offering a coupon as part of a payment for a meal.

I've used gifcards at restaurants before without recoiling. There's no shame in that to me.

 

[edmorel]

so does the server get a portion of the coupon as a tip? Do you announce to the server before hand that you are paying with a coupon? Do you just stick in the folder thing along with the cash/cc for the balance?

 

[Master-Classter]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Quick side question, people use coupons at restaurants? Not being a snob or big timer wanna be, just never used one and always recoiled at the thought of offering a coupon as part of a payment for a meal.

When I'm on a date or in company like clients and such, I usually just excuse myself from the meal at some point and give the card/certificate maybe along with my credit card and tell them I'm paying for it. Nobody sees the bill.

 

[thekunk07]

just stick it in the bill holder and tip based on real full amount.

Originally Posted by edmorel

so does the server get a portion of the coupon as a tip? Do you announce to the server before hand that you are paying with a coupon? Do you just stick in the folder thing along with the cash/cc for the balance?

 

[chorse123]

I took a look at this site and for most of them, they do an automatic tip (like 20% of the pre-discount total).

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by Master-Classter

When I'm on a date or in company like clients and such, I usually just excuse myself from the meal at some point and give the card/certificate maybe along with my credit card and tell them I'm paying for it. Nobody sees the bill.

so you excuse yourself because you are ashamed of using the coupon?


Can't see myself using a coupon in a restaurant. Just seems weird.

 

[HomerJ]

I've used these about 5-6 times, mostly $25 off $35. I have no qualms about using them. It's not like the restaurant is ambushed by these. They participate in the promotion and expect to see them. Good way to try out a restaurant you're not too sure about.

FYI it's printable from your .com account, one per party, usually excludes alcohol, you're supposed to present during ordering, and gratuity is usually 18% of the bill before discount. It's up to the individual restaurant to enforce these and I found most weren't terribly strict.

By the way, they constantly run 80% off codes so no big rush.