Dining out has definitely gotten more expensive, but another factor is keeping many diners from enjoying their favorite restaurants today: exclusivity.<\/p>\n
The competition for a great reservation can be fierce. You\u2019re often vying against other hungry patrons, social media influencers and their audiences who want to check out the latest viral dinner spots, as well as resellers who snatch up tables and pass them on to the highest bidders. But with the right credit card in your wallet \u2014 and some determination \u2014 you can still book a weekend table at the hottest restaurants in town.<\/p>\n
For one, reservations are tough to get because people are dining out a lot. American Express recently reported that card members spent over $100 billion at restaurants in 2023. And since it acquired the reservation service Resy in 2019, the number of \u201cengaged diners\u201d \u2014 people who either book a reservation or set up a restaurant notification through the site \u2014 has grown by 3x.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s another growing problem: reservation bots. Like concertgoers trying to secure tickets to their favorite artists, diners today compete with bots just to reserve a table at their favorite restaurants. Bots scoop up competitive tables and resell them for a profit. It\u2019s not only bad for customers, it\u2019s bad for restaurants.<\/p>\n
As a result, \u201c[bots] lead to a lot of no-shows and late cancellations,\u201d Resy CEO Pablo Rivero said in a recent interview with Yahoo Finance.<\/p>\n
While restaurants and reservation platforms are still working on measures to manage the fraudulent reservation problem, you may already have access to benefits that can help you find a great place for your next night out.<\/p>\n
Related: <\/em><\/strong>The best credit cards for restaurants<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Several different credit cards \u2014 especially more premium travel cards and rewards credit cards with annual fees \u2014 have restaurant perks for cardholders. Here are a few cards that can help you book a hard-to-get reservation.<\/p>\n American Express \u2014 which also recently acquired Tock, another reservation platform \u2014 has integrated Resy into its credit card rewards and benefits in several ways. The best way to snag a tough reservation for a Resy restaurant is by using an Amex card with Global Dining Access.<\/p>\n Through the current Global Dining Access program, you can secure exclusive reservations, get priority notifications before other users when reservations open up, and access special dining experiences. Global Dining Access is available with these Amex cards:<\/p>\n Read our <\/strong>full review of the Amex Platinum card<\/strong><\/p>\n Read our <\/strong>full review of the Delta Reserve card<\/strong><\/p>\n Read our <\/strong>full review of the Delta Reserve Business card<\/strong><\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>The best business credit cards<\/strong><\/p>\n Check out Resy\u2019s site for more info about which restaurants offer Global Dining Access benefits.<\/p>\n Note: If you have an American Express\u00ae Gold Card, you can earn up to $100 in annual statement credits ($50 semi-annually; with enrollment) when you make an eligible purchase at U.S. restaurants on Resy.com or the Resy app.<\/p>\n Visa recently partnered with OpenTable to offer eligible Visa Infinite cardholders access to reservations at top restaurants at peak dinner times through the Visa Dining Collection. Program-eligible restaurants are only in a few cities right now, but will expand throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada by the end of this year.<\/p>\n Visa Infinite cards are offered by a few different issuers, including:<\/p>\n Read our <\/strong>full review of the Venture X card<\/strong><\/p>\n Read our <\/strong>full review of the United Club Infinite card<\/strong><\/p>\n Read our <\/strong>full review of the Sapphire Reserve card<\/strong><\/p>\n Chase Sapphire Reserve\u00ae cardholders can access exclusive reservation times through the issuer\u2019s Reserved by Sapphire program. If you have a Sapphire Reserve card, you can browse eligible restaurants and available times through your card account. A Chase Sapphire Reserve card can also help you access events like food festivals, curated dining experiences with chefs, and more.<\/p>\n You can find the complete list of Visa Dining Collection restaurants on OpenTable\u2019s website.<\/p>\n This article was edited by <\/em>Rebecca McCracken<\/em><\/p>\n Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank\u2019s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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