How to save money on dining with inKind

inKind is an app that allows you to settle your bill at over 3,000 restaurants, bars, and cafes across the US. Put simply, you can pay your restaurant bill in the app using the credit card of your choice at restaurants that participate and both earn credit card rewards as well as “cash” that can then be spent on future inKind purchases.

When inKind first launched, I had seen it advertised (and knew that both Stephen and Nick used it), but then looked at a list of local restaurants and didn’t see much available.

So, I let it get off of my radar…which was a mistake.

On a recent trip to Hawai’i, I knew that I’d be taking some family out for dinner and saw that a couple of local restaurants that I liked were on inKind. I was able to buy $300 in gift cards for $180 during one of Costco’s regular sales and combined that with a $25 referral bonus from Stephen Pepper, enabling me to treat my in-laws to a ~$300 meal for ~$170 out of pocket…all for simply paying my bill through the app:

The ever-increasing amount of restaurants and bars that take inKind, combined with the frequent offers that can be had to get discounted inKind cash and the ease of use, makes this an app that anyone who dines out regularly should have.

Here’s what you need to know about how to get started.

How to enroll for inKind

1.  First, it’s worth checking to make sure that there are restaurants in your city or the cities you intend to visit (you can search on their home page). inKind has added a ton of outlets over the last couple of years, but there are still some “deserts for dessert.”
2. Sign up for InKind through a referral link. You don’t have to sign up through a referral, but if you do, you’ll get a $25 reward to use on a dine of $50 or more (and we’ll get some referral dollars to spend).

• • Feel free to use one of our links with our thanks:
    • Greg’s referral link
    • Nick’s referral link
    • Stephen’s referral link
    • Tim’s referral link

How to use the inKind app at restaurants

1. Search for nearby inKind restaurants either in the app or search on their home page.

2. After you finish your meal, when your server brings the check. Open the app, select the restaurant and then tap on “Pay Bill:”

3. The next screen will have you enter the check number, which should be easy to find on the check.

4. The following screen will then show you the total bill and provide a section to enter the tip. You can pay for the entire balance of your meal using inKind credit, but the tip has        to be paid for separately on a credit or debit card within the app.

5. Submit the payment and you’ll then confirmation in the app that you bill has been paid:

6. The restaurant server will then receive notice that your bill has been paid and you’re good to go.

inKind “cash” and “cash back”

There are two primary types of balance that you can accumulate with inKind: “inKind Cash” and “inKind Cash Back.”

inKind Cash

inKind Cash is the result of prepaying for credit that can be used at any inKind restaurant. There two components that make up your inKind Cash –  the purchased amount and the promotional amount, both of which have different expiration policies.

For example, if you were to take advantage of an offer from inKind to buy $200 in credit for $120, the $120 would be the “purchased amount” and would never expire, while the “promotional amount” would be the additional $80 and have an expiration for three years from the date purchase. The funds on inKind gift cards purchased through Costco or another retailer never expire.

There are several ways to get great discount on inKind cash:

• Buy gift cards. Costco regularly has gift cards on sale for 30% off, or $69.99 of $100. Occasionally this they will go on sale for 40% off, and you can buy $100 in cards for $59.99.
• Card-linked spending offers. American Express, Chase and Citi frequently have card-linked offers that allow you to get large discounts from pre-purchasing inKind credit.
• inKind promotions. inKind itself will run regular promotions that either increase the amount of credit you get for dining or give you a discount on pre-purchasing credit.

inKind Cash Back

inKind Cash Back are the rewards that you earn for paying for “engaging with the program.” There are two primary ways to earn Cash Back

• Dine and Earn. When you pay your bill using the app using a credit card on file, you’ll get up to 20% of the amount you paid back (excluding tip) to spend on another visit. If you pay part of your bill with your inKind balance, you won’t earn that 20%.
• Refer friends. inKind always referral offers going that allow both the person doing the referring and the person using the referral to earn credit when meeting the purchase minimum (usually $50) on their first visit.

Cash back from both referrals and dining expires 60 days from the date it was earned…or at least that’s what the terms say. Currently, mine seems to extend every time I earn or use cash back. YMMV.

Quick Thoughts

I’m a little embarrassed at how long it took me to get on the inKind train, but I’m all aboard now. The amount of area restaurants on the app, combined with the ease of getting discounted inKind cash, means that I can now save a bundle going to places that I would already go to – and maybe try a new one every now and then.

There are still many smaller towns where there’s little to no restaurants on the app, and it’s more or less useless internationally, but I continue to be amazed at what is there and how fast the selection is expanding. It’s worth it taking a look at for anyone who likes to dine out.

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