Link your Visa or Mastercard to Groupon to Get Extra Cash Back on Dining
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Last week, Groupon announced Groupon+, a new addition to its offering of deals that can help you save on dining after linking your eligible Mastercard or Visa card. The new venture is a relaunch of its card-linked deals, and is interesting in that it strays away from Groupon's traditional dining deals, where you'd have to buy a voucher that you would then bring to the restaurant. Not only that, you may have been restricted to certain meal options or there would be a spending requirement to activate the voucher, i.e. spend $50 to get $20 off. With Groupon+, the company has removed much of the red tape from redeeming some of its deals and is making it easier to get cash back when dining out.
Here's the way it works: first you'll need to be a Groupon member (sign-up is free) to be eligible for the deals. Second, you'll have to visit the Groupon+ page and browse what restaurants are eligible for savings, then you'll have to "claim" a deal, which only requires you to hit the "Claim This Deal Button." Add your credit card information (only Visa and Mastercard products are eligible) so that once you make a purchase at the restaurant, you'll be able to get your cash back. Similarly to Uber's new rewards program, it tracks your purchases and knows when a purchase is part of a deal, automatically applying a statement credit afterwards.
Groupon+ is available in 23 major cities and metro areas across the US, and more than 1,500 restaurants have signed up to participate in the program. From our search of New York City, there seemed to be a solid amount of dining options that ranged from fine dining to fast casual, with discounts up to 30%. They aren't one-time deals and they work on any type of purchase with no minimums. Even better, you can continually earn cash back — although after you've used the deal once, the cash back amount usually falls.
The cash back is received in the form of a statement credit, so you don't have to worry about any messy forms to fill out. Don't forget that many credit cards get bonus spend on dining out. The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve get 2x and 3x points on dining, while the newly announced Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card can get up to a whopping 3.5% back on dining if you can maximize its Preferred Rewards program.
Additionally, you can link your card to an airline's dining program and earn bonus miles that way — although it's unclear whether or not Groupon+ cash back would stack with a dining program. Groupon says it plans on expending the rewards program to more cities and other purchases outside of dining.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.