Restaurant.com sells and auctions gift certificates for a lot of restaurants in and around Chicago. What makes these gift certificates unique is that they are sold for well below their face value. I've bought $25 coupons for as little as $3, and for never more than half.
The selection of places is pretty good, the site lists 177 restaurants in the Chicago area. I've used them at Meritage Wine Bar, Becco D'Oro, and Jury's (among others). I've seen them for sale for places such as mk, Emilio's Tapas, and Bistro Margo.
Saving money this way is a little more involved than the painless Rewards Network. You have to buy the gift certificate online, print it, and bring it to the restaurant. The server or manager has to phone in the gift certificate ID to validate it. A little involved, but I've never encountered a problem.Be sure to read the fine print. Some of the certificates are good only for larger parties, lunch only, or on certain nights. Restaurant.com also charges a $1 processing fee.
A little bit of work, but if someone said they'd sell you $25 for $5, would you say no?
Check it out at www.restaurant.com and at their eBay store.
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