Modern married life can be hectic. My husband and I balance demanding jobs, caring for our (fur) baby, friendships, hobbies, travel and all manner of household chores.
That’s why we’ve found it’s important to set aside time for a romantic date night every so often. We get to do something fun, reconnect away from the hustle and bustle of daily life … and inevitably talk about where we want to travel next.
And as the points-and-miles person in the relationship, there’s one thing I do before almost every night out: check which credit card benefits and offers we can stack.
It takes just a few minutes, and between dining credits, merchant offers, rideshare benefits and even entertainment credits, this habit saves us hundreds of dollars each year.
Here’s what I look for before we head out.
Related: The dining statement credits that save me over $1,000 every year
First, I check my dining credits
Dining credits are usually the first place I look because several of my cards offer them.
Chase Sapphire Exclusive Tables
Last year, Chase launched its new Sapphire dining program in partnership with OpenTable, which gives special access to reservations to folks with the following cards:
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In addition to special access, my Sapphire Reserve also offers up to $300 in annual statement credits at participating Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables restaurants, split into two up-to-$150 credits from January through June and July through December.
In order to take advantage of this benefit be sure to link your eligible card to your OpenTable account. No prior reservation is required.
My husband and I used these credits last year for a tasting menu at Jeune et Jolie, a French-Californian bistro in Carlsbad, California, and dinner with friends at Anajak, a Michelin-starred Thai restaurant in Los Angeles. For our next one, I’ve got my eye on either Bestia or Bavel in downtown L.A.
Related: Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables: How to book and maximize the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s dining benefit
Amex Resy Credit
I also carry the American Express® Gold Card which offers cardholders up to $100 in annual statement credits on dining at eligible U.S. Resy restaurants when you use your card to pay; up to $50 from January-June and up to $50 from July-December. Enrollment is required.
Several other Amex cards also include Resy perks.
This credit is so easy for me to use that I actually have to make a special effort to save it for date night rather than accidentally triggering it on a random meal out.
You don’t even have to make your reservation through Resy. You just have to use your card to pay at an eligible restaurant. Just be sure to link your card to your Resy account beforehand.
We recently used our second $50 credit of the year out of the $100 total at Alba, a gorgeous Italian restaurant near us in West Hollywood. I love the bentagliati pasta with duck ragu and stone fruits.
Related: How I get this monthly credit on my Delta Amex without even trying
A little saving with my Marriott card
I recently got the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card when it was offering a historically high welcome offer (no longer available).
The card offers up to $25 in statement credits toward eligible restaurant purchases worldwide each calendar month. That’s up to $300 in annual statement credits over 12 months.
It’s not a huge amount, but I can split the bill between cards to stack this credit with another dining benefit and save an additional $25.
Related: The dining statement credits that save me over $1,000 every year
Then I look for offers I can stack
Finding a restaurant where I can use a statement credit is great. Finding another offer I can stack on top of it is even better.
Credit card offers
I’ll be honest, I don’t always remember to do this. But I’m always glad when I do. Several of the major credit card issuers have special merchant offers their credit cardholders can take advantage of.
Among them are:
These offers can vary dramatically by issuer as well as which card you have. To take advantage of them you’ll need to add the offer to your eligible card and then use that card to make your purchase. Sometimes you’ll need to spend a minimum dollar amount or your savings are capped based on a certain percentage.
It’s also a “set it and forget it” situation where I tend to add offers at restaurants I like to my cards and if I end up using them, I’m pleasantly surprised to see a statement credit appear in my account.
One of my favorite examples was a date night at Uchi Sushi, one of our go-to neighborhood spots.
I had an Amex Offer on my Gold Card that gave me $25 back after spending $125. Uchi was also an eligible Resy restaurant, so paying with the same card triggered one of my up-to-$50 biannual Resy statement credits.
All told, I got $75 back on a single dinner.
It only takes a few minutes to check, and sometimes the savings stack with benefits I was already planning to use.
Related: Everything you need to know about credit card merchant offers
Fire up my InKind app
Although OpenTable and Resy are my go-to reservations platforms, lately, I’ve been using another dining rewards app called InKind to see which participating restaurants are nearby where we can save money on date nights.
InKind is a dining rewards network with around 8,000 participating restaurants across the U.S. These range from coffee shops to cocktail bars to high-end restaurants.
Once you sign up, you’ll get $25 off your first purchase of $50 or more.
And when you dine at an InKind restaurant and pay through the app using a linked credit card, you’ll typically earn around 20% cash back. You can then put those earnings toward future dining purchases made through InKind.
We’ve saved hundreds of dollars through InKind at restaurants we already enjoy. One of our favorites is Pizzana, where we’ll order a few piping-hot pizzas, a huge Caesar salad and a glass or two of Italian wine.
It’s just a good old-fashioned pizza date night, with a little extra savings attached.
Related: This overlooked dining program is one of the most generous and gets you $25 off your very first meal
I don’t forget about the ride there and back
If we’re venturing farther afield, we sometimes like to take a rideshare so we can indulge in a cocktail or two without worrying about the drive home.
That’s another opportunity to check our card benefits.
My Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides and gives me up to $10 each month (through Sept. 30, 2027; does not apply to Wait & Save, bike or scooter rides).
Likewise, my Amex Gold Card provides up to $10 monthly in Uber Cash that can be used on U.S. Uber and Uber Eats orders.*
So we can take a Lyft one-way and an Uber the other and save up to $20 on our rides by playing the field.
*Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Gold as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.
Related: The best credit cards for ride-hailing apps
And sometimes date night isn’t dinner
It’s not just about dining and driving for us, though. We love theater and concerts, so one of the other fantastic statement credits we’ve been able to use has been my Sapphire Reserve’s StubHub credit.
Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders receive up to $300 per year to use on purchases made through StubHub or its sister site, Viagogo. The credit is split into two biannual credits of up to $150 (activation required; through Dec. 31, 2027). One is good for purchases from January-June, and the other applies to purchases from July-December.
We recently used these credits for a last-minute date night in New York City when we purchased tickets to “Schmigadoon!” It had us singing the songs for the rest of the weekend. Last year, I used one of these credits to see “Oh, Mary!” on a date night just for myself.
Related: Real ways the TPG team maximizes the Sapphire Reserve’s StubHub credit
My pre-date-night credit card checklist
Before your next night out, take a few minutes to run through these five things:
Bottom line
It might not sound particularly romantic, but before my husband and I head out for date night, I spend a few minutes checking the credit card benefits, merchant offers and dining programs we already have. Knowing we’ve saved some money or earned bonus points makes the things we already love doing even more enjoyable.
I’m not choosing restaurants solely because a credit is available, and I’m certainly not suggesting spending money just to use a benefit. Instead, I look for ways to save on the things we already want to do.
Sometimes that’s a Resy credit. Other times it’s an Amex Offer, an InKind restaurant, a discounted rideshare or tickets to a show.
Those few minutes of planning saves us hundreds of dollars each year while helping us make time for each other.
And if that’s not rewarding, I don’t know what is.
Related: Best travel credit cards
