Dining perks from Amex: Taste from American Express Invites

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Taste from American Express Invites

Did you know that Amex offers a dining benefit where, at selected restaurants, you can get perks such as 20% off your food bill, free drinks, or free appetizers? Somehow I missed this Amex perk altogether until I began researching the perks for the new PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express Card.  Among the card’s advertised benefits was “Taste Dining”.  I had no idea what that was, so I dug further.  It turns out that this benefit, which is available to all Amex cardholders, is called “Taste from American Express.”

With this program, cardholders can use the Taste from American Express restaurant finder to find participating restaurants, along with info about what type of perk each restaurant offers.  For example, here’s a screenshot from a search of New York City:

Taste from American Express InvitesAs you can see above, some restaurants offer free drinks or free appetizers, and others offer 20% off the food bill (i.e. drinks are presumably not discounted).

Taste from American Express Invites

How to use the benefit

  1. Find a participating restaurant
  2. Call the restaurant and identify yourself as an American Express Cardmember.
  3. Pay with your Amex card

Taste from American Express Invites

How does it work in real life?

I haven’t yet used this benefit, but I’m leery about the part that says to call the restaurant and identify yourself as an American Express Cardmember.  I imagine the conversation would go something like this:

Me: Hi, I’d like to make a reservation for … people at … o’ clock…

Them: Great, you’re confirmed for .. o’ clock

Me: I’m an American Express Cardmember!

Them: Um… Good for you?

Me: The website for Taste from American Express said to identify myself as a cardmember in order to get 20% off.

Them: Sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about

Me: Maybe the manager can help?

Them: I am the manager

The Citi Prestige card has a similar dining benefit, but in that case the Citi Prestige Concierge makes the reservation for you and therefore they would have to deal with conversations like this rather than you.  But not everyone has a Citi Prestige card, whereas I’d bet that most readers have at least one Amex card.

I’m interested in hearing about your experience if you’ve tried to use this Amex benefit.  Did the restaurant know what you were talking about?  Did they ever check to see if you were an Amex cardholder?  Did you really have to pay with your Amex card?  Please comment below!

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