Seated Review: Save More When Eating Out

Loyalty programs come in all shapes and sizes, but did you know that there are some programs specially designed for restaurant purchases? Discover a popular restaurant loyalty program in our Seated review. You’ll learn what Seated is, how it works, what are its perks, pros, cons, and more.

What is Seated?

Seated is a free app that allows its users to earn rewards from dining at various restaurants in select cities. It was founded in 2017 by Seated Technologies, Incorporated, and operates in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, with plans to expand to other cities in the future. Its users can make reservations at over two thousand restaurants with Seated, upload their receipts from dining there, and earn back a portion of what they spent, up to 30% per meal.

Unfortunately, Seated Rewards don’t translate into cash. Users can only spend their cash back on gift cards for popular retailers and brands like Amazon, Starbucks, and Uber. Restaurants can choose when to offer rewards, Seated then entices patrons to come in and fill the empty seats and rewards them for supporting local restaurants.

The more you spend at a restaurant, the more you’ll earn back from the Seated app.

Features of Seated

Seated offers many perks like badges, Seated lists, private events, and more, so users enjoy a wide range of benefits from using the app.

#1 Cash Back Rewards For Spending

Seated’s primary feature is paying back a portion of a restaurant patron’s spending bill as a reward for supporting local restaurants. This is an important incentive to entice patrons to support local restaurants in a specific area, while also allowing them to save some of their money for other uses. It also helps local restaurants fill more seats throughout the day when they offer reward incentives to their customers.

#2 App Store

Seated also has a mobile e-store where patrons can redeem their rewards for gift cards from brands like Amazon, Starbucks, and Uber. The customer then doesn’t have to worry about going over budget, and the brands can earn more revenue, so it’s a win-win. While this isn’t directly putting money back into your bank account, the fact that some of it can come back to you for other uses is definitely a plus.

#3 Gold Badge

Users can unlock Gold Seat status by earning badges from dining with Seated. With the Gold Badge, you can get access to exclusive perks like invitations to special events, early access to new Seated features, and priority member support.

To earn the Gold Badge, users need to earn the Dine In Badge, Reward Badge, and Referral Badge. There used to be a fourth badge called the Takeout Badge. However, this badge was discontinued after Seated ended its Pickup and Delivery feature, so it’s no longer required to get the Gold badge.

#4 Rideshare With Revel

Seated also partners with Revel to provide rides for users with Gold Seat status. Using a code they can find in their inbox and an exclusive credit, Gold Seat users can order a ride from Revel to their next reserved restaurant using one of their Revel Teslas, so you don’t even have to drive there yourself.

Revel is an independent company that employs its own drivers, so users can feel safe and comfortable when securing a ride to their restaurant of choice. This is a perfect option if you don’t like driving or if you don’t have a car, and can potentially save you hundreds of dollars per year.

#5 Seated Lists

Do you have a favorite restaurant or perhaps one that best fits your current mood? Save it with Seated lists! With Seated lists, you can create custom lists of your favorite restaurants and share them with your friends. From date nights, bed n’ breakfasts, pizza parlors, and Japanese eateries, users can make any custom theme they want and list their favorite restaurants under them. Then, when you share them with your friends, you can all be ready for the next night out together.

#6 Integrated Yelp Reviews

Seated offers integrated Yelp reviews on the app itself so users can instantly know which places are the top-rated in the area and which places are best avoided.

For added convenience, users can also filter for top-rated restaurants and see a list of the restaurants with the best reviews in the area. Perfect for when you don’t want to go scouring through dozens of reviews on Yelp itself to find the perfect restaurant for your outing.

#7 Private Events

If you’re planning a larger event like a birthday party or company outing, Seated offers a free concierge service to do the planning for you. Users just have to fill out a form showing the date they’re planning to host the event, the number of people who will attend, and the ideal neighborhood for it, and the Seated concierge team will find the perfect spot for you to host your party. It’s a convenient way to take the stress out of party planning so you and your friends and family can get straight to what really matters: enjoying the event.

#8 Seated’s Referral Program

Seated also offers a referral bonus for those who bring new people to the app. When you sign up, you get a unique referral code that you can share with friends, and, if they sign up, you’ll both get a $15 bonus after your referral uses the service for the first time. In addition, if you bring in five referrals, you will get what is known as Partner Status, which will net you a five percent bonus any time your referrals go out to eat.

This is a very generous referral program and it can become a good source of passive income.

#9 Seated Walk-Ins

Seated also offers Walk-Ins for restaurants offering rewards for that. You’ll see a yellow “Walk In” button in the bottom left corner of the restaurant’s page on the app for restaurants that offer Walk-Ins and Reservations. It’s only possible to earn rewards for Walk-Ins at these restaurants if you walk in now. Others only offer Walk-Ins and seat people on a first-come, first-serve basis. For these restaurants, “Walk In” will be the only option shown. To earn rewards for eating at these restaurants, tap the Walk In button and select the time you would like to dine.

Pros Of Seated

• Solid rewards system that saves users money when they go out to eat at restaurants.
• Plenty of rewards like Gold Seat and Revel Rideshare to keep users incentivized to keep coming back.
• Ease of use on the Seated app.
• Support for local restaurants in the area.
• Great bonus for referring others.
• Low-risk security, stores only your phone number and email address on the app.

Cons Of Seated

• Only available in a few cities.
• Lack of popular redemption options.
• No real cash reward option.
• Many users have complained about bad customer service.

Pricing

Seated is a free app, and you don't pay any fees either when earning or when redeeming your cash back rewards. However, we advise you to always use your rewards strategically to ensure you make the most of them.

Things To Consider When Using Seated

With all loyalty rewards systems, it’s good to remember that it’s still your money that you’re spending to earn those rewards every time you go out to eat or make a purchase. Eating out regularly can become costly, and while some loyalty programs give back part of that spending as cash (offsetting a part of the cost), with Seated’s reward system what you get is credit to spend on gift cards.

This lack of flexibility and liquidity means that this money isn’t immediately available when you need it, and it may not be useful for the things you really want or need to buy.

The key is to use Seated as a complementary app for when you already have plans to go out to eat. It’s natural to want to get cash back whenever you go to a restaurant, but this only makes sense financially if it doesn’t imply extra spending you hadn’t budgeted for.

How To Sign Up For Seated

Seated is a free app that’s easy to sign up for and use. You just have to

• Download the app and click “Sign Up.” 
• Enter your phone number and the security code they will send via text.
• Fill out your name, email address, password, and, if you have one, promo code.

Make sure you use your real phone number, as you will need that to book reservations. After that, you will be verified, and ready to book.

If you don’t live in any of the six cities that Seated is available in, don’t fret. Seated has plans to expand to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Austin, Providence, Houston, Washington, DC, and Seattle, so, soon, more people will be able to use the app to eat out and save,  and more restaurants can offer rewards for using it.

In addition to additional cities and restaurants, Seated has plans to expand its entire Dine In experience. It wants to have more cities, more restaurants, more availability, and more rewards users can spend at the Seated Store. In their own words, “With dining room restrictions a thing of the past, you can expect even more from the Dine In experience with Seated!”

In Summary

Seated is a cash back app specifically designed to save money when eating out. It currently operates in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, but will soon expand to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Austin, Providence, Houston, Washington, DC, and Seattle.

The app offers cash back on purchases at hundreds of restaurants, supporting local businesses and giving back to their customers by scanning their receipts. While it’s a great concept, Seated has some shortcomings, the most important of which is the lack of flexibility when redeeming your cash back, which is strictly through gift cards from partner retailers.

Related: You may be interested in other receipt-scanning apps like Fetch Rewards and Ibotta.

Seated Review FAQs

What is Seated?

Seated is a restaurant discovery app that partners with a number of different restaurants in cities across the United States. It offers cash back rewards for dining at its partnered restaurants that its users can spend on gift cards for brands like Lyft, Target, and Starbucks. It helps save money for patrons, while encouraging them to support local restaurants.

How do I use Seated?

Download the app, browse restaurants near you, and book Reservations. Once you’ve enjoyed your meal, just upload your receipt to the Seated app, and you will receive a percentage of your spend back in rewards in the app.

Do Seated Points expire?

Yes, they do expire. If you don’t submit your receipt within ninety days of eating at a restaurant, you may lose out on rewards you could have earned with Seated. The same may also happen if you do submit your receipt, but your rewards go unused for the same time period. So, it’s best to use them at the next available opportunity so you don’t lose them.

Is Seated available in Los Angeles?

It used to be available in the area but due to the pandemic, they had to scale back and now, Los Angeles is not one of the cities they are available in. However, they do plan to expand to Los Angeles and other cities soon, and more cities mean more restaurants and more customers.

Is Seated legitimate?

Seated is a legitimate restaurant and rewards app. It costs nothing to use and offers real rewards for eating out at restaurants. Plus, it saves people money and encourages them to support local businesses. They’re only available in a few areas now, but they are planning on expanding to other cities with great food cultures in the future. If you’re someone who likes to go out to eat at restaurants, this app is perfect for you.

Is there a minimum spend for restaurants?

There is normally no minimum spend for rewards when you eat at a restaurant that offers Seated rewards. You can just spend however much you like and get up to thirty percent back in rewards for gift cards for your favorite brands. However, special promotions may require a minimum spend, and, if that is the case, Seated will make it clear that there is a minimum spend so as not to surprise their customer base.