Just a quick heads-up that a bunch of restaurant and food delivery service statement credits expire today for holders of several credit cards.
Remember, these credits are if-used and do not roll over to January.
So if you need some ideas on how to spend them quickly, we have a few suggestions.
Not sure if your card offers restaurant or food service delivery credits? Here are some of the major ones.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
- $35 Uber Cash: The Platinum Card® from American Express members may receive up to $200 each year in Uber Cash deposits valid toward Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases in the United States. They’re dispensed as $15 each month from January through November, and $35 in December. (Cardholders must first add their Platinum card to their Uber or Uber Eats app. Enrollment is required. Terms apply.)
American Express® Gold Card
- $10 Restaurant and Delivery Service Credit: Cardholders receive up to $10 in monthly statement credit when using their Gold Card to pay for purchases at these select restaurants and delivery services:
- Grubhub (save $10 more on your first order with our referral link — thank you!)
- Seamless (save $10 more on your first order with our referral link — thank you!)
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Goldbelly
- Wine.com
- Milk Bar
- Participating Shake Shack locations
- $10 Uber Cash: American Express® Gold Card members who add their card to the Uber account may each month automatically receive $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. (Enrollment is required. Terms apply.)
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card cardholders may earn up to $25 a month in dining statement credits each calendar year for eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide. Dining purchases also earn 3X Bonvoy points on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. (Terms apply.)
Select Chase Cards: Instacart Benefits
Need to stock up on groceries, snacks, alcohol, etc., for a long New Year’s weekend of binging shows? Watching a bunch of football? Staying in and cooking a New Year’s Eve dinner for older friends and family before playing dominoes while listening to how much they “just love that nice Ryan Seacrest boy filling in for Dick Clark”? Several Chase cards can save you some money with their Instacart benefits. (Not yet an Instacart member? Save up to $20 on your first order when signing up through our referral link. Thank you!!)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® card members are eligible to receive a monthly $15 Instacart credit through July 2024. Enrollment is required. (Do that here.)
- Plus, Chase Sapphire Reserve® holders may receive a complimentary one-year Instacart+ membership. (Enroll here.)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card members
- $15 quarterly Instacart credit through July 2024.
- Six-month Instacart+ trial membership.
- Enroll here.
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- $10 quarterly Instacart credit through July 2024.
- Three-month Instacart+ trial membership.
- Enroll here.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- $10 quarterly Instacart credit through July 2024.
- Three-month Instacart+ trial membership.
- Enroll here.
Finally, based on the several times I’ve work on Seacrest projects and bumped into him, I can confirm he’s indeed a nice boy. 🙂
Need Suggestions How to Use the Food Service Delivery Credits?
Maybe you have your meals planned for tonight. Perhaps you forgot about the credit and are thinking, How can I spend it?
Let not your heart be troubled. We’re here to help!
Treat Someone Else to a Meal
Know someone who is homebound and could use a free meal? Consider ordering something for them — and simply change the delivery address to their location.
Order Something You Can Freeze (or Otherwise Refrigerate)
“But I already have leftovers! And New Year’s Eve is already planned!” you may say. Great! Order a meal you can stick in the fridge or freezer — and reheat when you’re ready. Or get something you freeze and later thaw.
Get Appetizers
Uber Eats and Grubhub came to our rescue a couple of years ago New Year’s Eve! A family friend joined us for dinner. We had everything planned: the main course, side dishes, dessert and — uh oh. We forgot the appetizers.
At about 4:30 PM, we placed orders for pasta (for our daughter) and some seafood appetizers. We ended up paying about ten bucks out of pocket.
Order Salads, Side Dishes, or Desserts
Busy preparing an entree and don’t have time (or energy) to make a salad, side dish, or dessert? Do you crave a favorite restaurant’s [insert sinful side dish or dessert]?
Save yourself the trouble and order those small — but important — items with your credits! (Both René and I have ordered ice cream with our Uber Cash credits.)
Cheers!
You knew this was coming if you’re a regular reader of mine.
Instacart and Uber Eats work with stores that sell beer, wine, and spirits. Now, there’s generally a bit of a markup. But by the time you apply credits, it’s about the same as you’d pay in person. (Though prices vary by store and there are exceptions.)
Need some bubbly for New Year’s Eve? Perfect. Wine for dinner? Great. Something else tasty for your liquor cabinet? Bottoms up.
Plus, the orders are generally concealed in a bag — thus, your neighbors won’t necessarily know you’re having booze brought to your house. This prevents them from judging you and/or inviting themselves over for a cocktail.
You will need to meet to the driver and present them with your photo ID to verify your age. If you’re nervous about physically interacting with people, this may not be the option for you.
Stack Those Credits!
You can stretch that $60 DoorDash credit to at least $70. You’ll receive $10 off each of your first three DoorDash orders over $15 if you use our referral link (thank you!) to sign up for the service.
If you break the $60 across three orders of at least $15.01 (breakfast, lunch, and dinner!), then you’re essentially only paying for tips and some fees.
Similarly,
Final Approach
Food delivery service credits are great — and help knock down the cost of annual fee cards. There are ways to use them other than just ordering a quick meal. They can save you time and enhance your home-cooked meals. Or give you something to drink while you prep that delicious dinner.
Featured image: ©iStock.com/Prostock-Studio
- To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
What about the new California regulations on Food delivery services?? A new registration system is being enforced for Jan 1—- A very BAD TIme for calif to enforce such???!!!!!!
For Doordash, you can send the order as a gift to yourself or someone else to be delivered at a later date (limited to one week or so). If you cannot use it today.