No one likes to pick up the phone for food delivery anymore. And most folks prefer to buy their restaurant gift cards and discount certificates with handy mobile apps. We’d love to satisfy your digital craving for savings. So we rounded up the top 3 online takeout/eat-in sites.
We also want to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck. So we stacked our deals next to Rakuten’s/Ebates’.
But before we jump in, check out some neat shopping tidbits.
Average Consumer Spending on Restaurants and Delivery Food
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average 3-person household spends $74.87 a week on grub away from home. They fork over $324.42 a month and $3,893 per year.
That’s a lot of coinage. Kind of makes you wish you brought that crumby sandwich for lunch after all, doesn’t it? Well, there’s plenty of time to redeem yourself. Let’s see which store and cash back service hits the spot.
Uber Eats
From fast-food favorites to that special local haunt, Uber Eats will deliver the dishes you love. Just download the app, tap to place your order and pay with your Uber account. It’s easy-peasy! And you can watch your food as it travels in real time with the nifty GPS feature.
If you shop through us, you’ll earn $15 cash back on your first purchase. But if you go through Rakuten/Ebates, you’ll get nada, zero, zilch. Because they don’t offer cash back for this “can’t live without” platform.
Darden Restaurants
Known for their wide variety of yummy chains (Olive Garden breadsticks anyone?), Darden Restaurants pulls out all the full-service dining stops. They’ve catered to over 380 million guests across North America. So it’s no surprise their gift cards are on the top of family members’ wishlists. LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen and Yard House are just a few of their most celebrated joints.
Nab a gift card through us, and you’ll earn 2% cash back. The average 3-person unit spends $74.87 a week on bites away from home. So if you bought a gift card every week for a year, you’d receive roughly $78.08 annually. Rakuten/Ebates offers only 1% cash back. So you’d get just $39.04 for the whole year.
Restaurant.com
With more than 500,000 deals available every day, Restaurant.com provides discounted gift certificates to satisfied foodies across the nation. They’re partnered with over 62,000 eateries. And they have 3.5 million verified reviews. Pretty impressive.
Order a certificate through us, and you’ll score 40% cash back until March 31, 2019. Any transactions made after that will be eligible for 15% cash back. But please keep in mind, we spike up our Restaurant.com rate fairly often. So keep your eyes peeled!
If you purchase a gift certificate through us every week, you’ll earn about $656.58 for the year. This includes orders made in March 2019. Settle for Rakuten/Ebates, and you’ll get a lousy 10% cash back. That’s roughly $390.39 annually if you buy a certificate weekly.
The Final Crunch
Year's worth of cash back if you shop at Darden and Restaurant.com
These are just 3 eat-in/takeout stores you can save on. Try one for half the year to get a feel for their options. If you shop at Darden for 6 months, you’ll earn $38.93 back with us. And if you sample Restaurant.com for 6 months, you’ll nab $373.09 through us. That’s $412.02 for the whole year.
If you shop at Darden for 6 months through Rakuten/Ebates, you’ll earn $19.47. And if you do the same at Restaurant.com, you’ll get $194.65. That’s about $214.12 for all 12 months. And half of what you’d get with us.
If you’d like to learn some other ways to save more with our services, check out our helpful TopCashback vs Rakuten/Ebates guide. Click on through to learn about bonuses, coupons, payout options and more.
Not a TopCashback member yet? Join for free here and never miss out on cash back deals again!
Editor's Note: Cash back rates and promos were correct at time of publication
Related Posts: Rakuten | Ebates vs TopCashback: Online Grocer & Meal-Kit Deals