You can now get exclusive restaurant reservations through Capital One
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Forget just travel. The ongoing value of a rewards credit card has evolved beyond airports, planes and hotels. Today's biggest trend? Lifestyle benefits.
And now, Capital One is making inroads in the restaurant category with the launch of Capital One Dining.
The end-to-end dining platform, created by Capital One from the ground up, features a curated collection of restaurants ranging from under-the-radar gems to high-end, Michelin-starred experiences.
Based on the advanced preview that TPG experienced, Capital One is taking this lifestyle category seriously from the get-go. Currently, there are over 350 restaurants in 11 markets in the Capital One Dining ecosystem.
The competitors in this space, namely American Express' Resy and Chase's partnership with Tock, should be on alert.
Here's what you should know about Capital One Dining.
What is Capital One Dining?
Capital One Dining is a restaurant booking platform exclusive to Capital One cardholders, including those with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
With the service, the issuer is emphasizing a curated array of restaurants, noting that users won't "have to shift through thousands of choices."
To add some cachet to its offering, Capital One partnered with some top names in the industry to assist in that curation process. Chef José Andrés, the Michelin Guide and the James Beard Foundation have all signed on to provide their expertise — along with soon-to-be-announced exclusive events.
At launch, the participating restaurants in the new program include Andrés' barmini in Washington, D.C., Quince by Michael Tusk in San Francisco, Itamae in Miami and Cadence in New York City.
Related: The best credit cards for dining in 2022
How does Capital One Dining work?
While we have yet to test out the service for ourselves, Capital One promises an easy, end-to-end ability to discover restaurants, book a reservation and communicate dietary preferences.
On the back end, the reservation service is powered by SevenRooms, an existing guest experience platform used by thousands of hospitality operators.
Cardholders can access Capital One Dining online at capitalone.com/dining or through the issuer's mobile app.
When you first login, you'll need to complete a few quick steps to set up your profile — including adding your phone number. That only take a few seconds, however. Then, you'll be ready to make your reservations.
Note that the current slate of restaurants is limited to 11 major cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
How does Capital One Dining compare?
Credit card issuers are itching to encompass more aspects of your life. Of course, travel is a key part of that, but there are other core elements seeing increased investment in recent years, including dining.
Exclusivity is the name of the game
Amex acquired the restaurant platform and app Resy back in 2019 and has integrated the service through unique events along with priority waitlists and access for select cardholders.
For instance, those with a premium card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express now receive special access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants, through Priority Notify.
Meanwhile, Chase has a partnership with Tock, a platform used to book reservations, order takeout and delivery, and access culinary events. Most restaurants on Tock are higher-end, including a number of Michelin-starred ones that aren't available through any other platform.
Chase also recently acquired the online restaurant guide The Infatuation, so it'll be interesting to see how that investment translates into additional offerings for cardholders.
With Capital One now entering a somewhat crowded field, we'll have to wait and see how the service compares with some of these already established players.
Related: Testing Chase Dining — here's why earning 10x points wasn't even the best part
Bottom line
From valuable cash back and points earning to purchase and travel protections, there are certain things you expect from most travel rewards cards.
But beyond these benefits, there are lifestyle elements that are worth a look. And now, Capital One has entered the world of dining — and it appears to be an impressive start. Cardholders can now make reservations at over 350 restaurants across 11 major metropolitan markets in the U.S.
2021 was a blockbuster year for card issuers looking to be a one-stop shop for travel, dining and other lifestyle benefits, and this is likely to continue this year as well. Watch this space, as the battle for customers' spending will only intensify.