Update 7/6/25: It’s now lower at $64.99 (ht reader caine)
Update 6/17/25: Available again, this time online.
Update 5/7/25: Back from 5/5/25 through 5/9/25
Contents
The Offer
- Costco is selling a $100 inKind giftcard for $69.99
Our Verdict
inKind regularly has other discounts as well. Not as good as when it was $59.99.
View Comments (60)
I'd check the list of participating restaurants closely before buying. I live in a big city and this program just lost tons of restaurants. The only two restaurants that was near me are both no longer participating. The restaurant list today is shorter than it was late last year. Not sure how long this company will last....
Just a datapoint, I purchased two cards last night and got the code about 20 minutes later. However, one of the codes errored out when redeeming and said the code had already been used.
Have reached out to inKind support, will update when I hear back!
I had the same issue a few months ago - they fixed it no problem
@will down to $64.99 till the 11th
Just bought inkind gift card for $64.99 (worth $100) after Costco is giving extra $10 off so instead of payng $75, I ended up paying $65. Max of 5 per member. Offer starts today till July 11.
@doc now on sale for 35% off
I still don't understand how this business makes money yet. Are they just bleeding vc cash?
They buy credit from restaurants at a discount (somewhere around 50% off) as a form of financing the restauant. The discount doesn't apply to tip (and usually not to tax). Food for restaurants is usually about 1/3 of the menu cost, so the restaurant doesn't actually lose money on the margins. Thus, inkind is basically providing a loan to the restaurant buy buying and reselling credit. Once the loan is paid off, the restaurant is dropped from the app.
haha! business!
I imagine the restaurant's servers are thrilled with the tips InKind customers leave. Much like it used to be with Groupon customers. Or, if you're old enough... those discount coupon books that used to be sold before the 90's.
lol
If I were shopping for used restaurant equipment, I would keep an eye on places that appear on InKind.
In the meantime, this is an easy way to get some inexpensive dining.
Tips are included automatically and are mandatory 18%, you cannot use inkind to pay. Only card. So they must be happy
Here is what Google says: “inKind is a venture capital firm focused on the restaurant industry, offering a unique financing model. Instead of traditional loans or equity deals, inKind provides upfront capital to restaurants by purchasing food and beverage credits in bulk. These credits are then sold to consumers through the inKind app, giving diners rewards and discounts while providing restaurants with immediate funding and access to new customers”
Here is what Google says: “inKind is a venture capital firm focused on the restaurant industry, offering a unique financing model. Instead of traditional loans or equity deals, inKind provides upfront capital to restaurants by purchasing food and beverage credits in bulk. These credits are then sold to consumers through the inKind app, giving diners rewards and discounts while providing restaurants with immediate funding and access to new customers”
Possibly! In NYC there is an app/crypto called Blackbird that runs a similar platform - pay through Blackbird, can use credit card or Blackbird coins. Lots of restaurants giving away free dishes (had a $50 wagyu udon at Raku) if you use the app for the first time.
Unfortunately I checked my area and it's all weird asian restaurants few would eat at.
They're still doing their standard new user sign up bonus: $25 off $50+ (before tax & tip). It's the same offer as their user referrals. I was able to use the $25 off promo when paying with a gift card
I've never used inKind - Bar Louie is an option near me and it currently has an offer that says $25 off $50. Can that be used when paying with the gift card?
Yes. You load the gift card balance to your InKind account, and that amount can be used with offers like $25 off $50. The only thing it won't cover is tip, which must be paid directly with credit card.
What would happen if they change the words "Kind" into "Cest"?
What would happen if you touched grass?
The world may never know...