If you like dining out, but hate trying to make a reservation, check out OpenTable.com. This is one of our favorite websites. Why? You simply type in the date and time you want to dine, number of people in your party and general location or neighborhood you want to dine in. Presto! The system tells you which restaurants have available tables. Talk about a time saver — and time is money — no waiting on hold or until the restaurant opens.
OpenTable is available 24/7. But what about the free dining, you ask? When you join OpenTable you create an account. Every time you make and honor online reservations through the system, points are awarded to your account. Most reservations net 100 points though some (typically at slow times when the restaurant wants to boost traffic) award 1,000 bonus points.
Points can then be redeemed for Dining Rewards Gift Cards or an Amazon Gift Card. OpenTable now has more than 40,000 restaurants worldwide. Use the system at home or when you travel.
But remember to check your points every so often and redeem them. We can’t tell you how many smart folks utilize the service but forget about their rewards accounts.
How many points required to redeem something FREE?!
OK – It ranges now depending on where you dine and on what day and time. Sort of a tiered system. There is a FAQ on the OpenTable website where you can read all the details.