Seated was my favorite dining rewards app of all time, but I think inKind has taken over the top spot. If you’re a new user, inKind has just introduced an improved referral bonus, which I’ll cover in today’s post.
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inKind’s Generous $25 Refer-a-Friend Bonus Offer
inKind has an extremely generous referral program. Normally, when you refer a friend to inKind and they complete their first dining purchase of at least $50 (before tax and tip), you each get a $25 bonus to use toward a future dining experience.
I just noticed that they have launched a limited-time offer that significantly increased the sign-up bonus. From now through January 31, 2026, the referrer (the person referring someone else) gets a $50 bonus while the referee (the new user) still gets $25.
Obviously, this improved offer benefits the person referring more than the person being referred. However:
- The $25 bonus for the new user is still the highest offer inKind has ever offered.
- Once you signed up, you can also start referring others and be rewarded in that way.
You can use my referral link to sign up (a big thanks for those who choose to use my link and support the site. Others are welcome to leave their link in the comments below as well.
Why I’m Obsessed With The inKind Dining App
There are many dining rewards apps out there. Most are subpar however (though you can often stack some of them to supercharge your rewards), so I’d argue that two platforms, inKind and Seated ($10 bonus link), are the only ones I consider to be in the dining rewards elite tier.
This is for two reasons. First is how generous the rewards are for these two apps compared to all the other apps (I’m looking at you, OpenTable). Second is that the partnered restaurants, cafes, and bars are ones that I would actually want to visit and not go just to earn rewards.
The major downside to both is that the network of restaurants isn’t that huge. inKind has a little over 4,750 participating restaurants in the U.S., with most being in or around big cities. The good thing is that the number of participating restaurants is growing super fast.
Unlike Seated that offers a reward amount between 5% to 30% of your total dining bill, inKind offers a flat 20%. This is valuable because the higher percentages offered on Seated are usually during slower days (or slower times of a day) to encourage people to visit.
This means I’m probably getting only 5% to 10% on Seated on Friday nights, whereas I’m getting a beefy 20% with inKind no matter how busy the restaurant is.
Additionally, what’s unique about inKind is that it doesn’t matter when you dine or how you make a reservation. The rewards is triggered by paying through the app while at the restaurant with a linked credit card, which makes the entire process so easy and straightforward.
InKind also often sells credits at a huge discount, so you can score incredible discounts at great restaurants. Living in Boston, some of the restaurants Maryna and I go to most partner with with inKind – MIDA, Ocean Prime, Select Oyster Bar, and Shy Bird.
The Bottom Line
The Seated app for years has been my favorite dining rewards app. I’ve written a review on how incredible the platform is, allowing you to earn up to 30% back in rewards for simply eating at your favorite restaurants and paying with a linked card.
inKind has taken the top spot, due to its flat 20% rewards no matter when I go out to eat and drink. When you stack that with the gift cards they often sell for a discount, you have potential to save a ton of money while earning solid rewards at the same time.
If you dine out and live in a city that has inKind, you’re really missing out by not joining. I have some friends who procrastinate on joining or hesitant on what the catch is, and then when they finally do use inKind, they can’t stop raving about it.
