Yelp Cashback sent out an email that you’ll have to activate each offer before using it.
We just wanted to let you know that we updated the Yelp Cash Back Terms of Service based on changes to the program by Empyr, our partner that powers Cash Back. Here’s what’s changed: Now you have to activate an offer before your purchase by tapping a button on the Yelp page of a participating business, or when the business appears in Yelp search results. Businesses can change or remove offers at any time, so check their Yelp page when you pay to make sure you’re all set to get your Cash Back rewards.
To me, the Yelp change is minor. The broader question is whether this means Empyr is moving to a model of requiring activation before use from ALL of their partners. One of the big highlights of card-link programs is the ability to ‘set and forget’. That’s still the case for most of them, yet some require activation before use. If Empyr moves to that model on all their partners it would be more a bummer.
We’ve updated our Complete List of Card Link Reward Programs.
They have always required activation before each use. Not just now.
I noticed this change recently for Mogl restaurants, it started with a handful of restaurants but now it seems you have to activate with every restaurant or else you don’t get cash back, a bit of a pain but I also noticed for some restaurants the % cash back has been boosted, for example from 10% to 15%.
iDine also requires you to fill out a short survey before cash back is credited to your account,
Some of these programs do stack, but it’s trial and error with restaurants that are on multiple programs, worth investigating as you can get 20% or more cb on every restaurant purchase.
I’ve been able to get some iDine, Dosh, VLO to stack at times. It’s a nice perk….assuming the restaurant is not overpriced nor crappy.
My observation is that most of the places doing all this kind of discounting are in the Buca di Bepo model. Way overpriced, average at best food.
If one really wants to eat those places, check Costco. A lot of those places sell $100 of gift cards for $70 or $80 which is a whole lot easier than dealing with these convoluted cash back programs. Just watch out for restaurants going bankrupt. I wouldn’t buy that kind of GC thinking that’s any kind of store of value.
The way it’s worded (“we updated the Yelp Cash Back Terms of Service **based on changes to the program by Empyr**”) certainly doesn’t sound very good.
How to do it though?