Gift certificate for restaurant shop
Warning: For Full Access Please Log In or Create an Account (Free)
There was another thread that mentioned gift certificates as payment. It seemed they were unusable.
If they're restaurant.com certificates, it's more like a 50% off deal if they are accepted.
If they're restaurant.com certificates, it's more like a 50% off deal if they are accepted.
@wrosie wrote:
There was another thread that mentioned gift certificates as payment. It seemed they were unusable.
If they're restaurant.com certificates, it's more like a 50% off deal if they are accepted.
This shop says $100 gift certificate for the same restaurant.
@wrosie....This was the survey sent out a few weeks back asking if people wanted payment (reimbursement) or gift card. Since OP did not name MSC or restaurant, I will divulge the restaurant. It is BJ's Brewhouse.
They just posted Bar, Dining, and Take Out shops. Bar shops only get $65 gift card. Dining Room is $100 gift card. So basically you just use it on the next shop. I am not a fan of this type of system, but if I can spend $40 in the bar and get $65 as my payment, it makes me feel like I'm ahead.
They just posted Bar, Dining, and Take Out shops. Bar shops only get $65 gift card. Dining Room is $100 gift card. So basically you just use it on the next shop. I am not a fan of this type of system, but if I can spend $40 in the bar and get $65 as my payment, it makes me feel like I'm ahead.
Like This
Liked by: boridi, johnb974, ShopperGirly, sandyf, IsaArcega2
John, i consider the GC as a flat fee. Yes taxable. You report $100 and deduct whatever you spent on the meal as an expense. Whatever you do with your profit is not accountable for tax reporting purposes.
Like This
Liked by: johnb974, BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz, sandyf
Don't see any posted in my area. Maybe they got taken real fast. I looked at Southern California and saw some available there.
Agreed. There have been a few projects like this over the years. O'Charley's was one that used to be the same way.
By the way John a gift certificate and a gift card are not the same thing although you may be able to use them in a similar way. A restaurant might give you a gift certificate as a bonus or to invite you to come back or to compensate for a failed meal. Often you can only use them once so if you do not spend it all you lose the rest. And they may have restrictions on them.
A gift card, in my state and many others, never expires and is like using cash at the restaurant it is for. You do not have to use it all at once. You can use a dollar at a time for 100 visits if you want.
A gift card, in my state and many others, never expires and is like using cash at the restaurant it is for. You do not have to use it all at once. You can use a dollar at a time for 100 visits if you want.
Like This
Liked by: BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz
@Madetoshop wrote:
John, i consider the GC as a flat fee. Yes taxable. You report $100 and deduct whatever you spent on the meal as an expense. Whatever you do with your profit is not accountable for tax reporting purposes.
You could also make probably make the argument to the IRS that the GC is worth what you can sell it for rather than the face value. So, if $100 GCs are selling for $90 online at a gift card resale place you could claim that. It depends on how complicated you want to make it. I've done this in the past with sports tickets I received in the past (not for mystery shopping).
It's bad enough when we don't get a fee for a shop. I'm not paying a restaurant to evaluate them. BJs used to offer reimbursement, not a gift card.
I am happy to get a gift card and a small fee to do this job now. The reimbursement is more than twice as much as it was with teh previous company. There was no pay at all with the previous company and this company pays a small fee plus whatever is left on your gift card. The other company reimbursed so little you could only order the least expensive sale things on the menu. Now you have enough money to order an entree instead of the daily special. If you have leftovers on your gift card it is because you ordered prudently but you still prob had a bill of over the amt the old company allowed.
So all of you who do not like the gift card idea I am happy to take the jobs. Maybe the competition to get one will not be insane if the no gift card shoppers are not vying for the jobs.
So all of you who do not like the gift card idea I am happy to take the jobs. Maybe the competition to get one will not be insane if the no gift card shoppers are not vying for the jobs.
Like This
Liked by: Mellifluy, Madetoshop, NinS
I'm with sandyf. You do a shop now and get sent a gift card next month. Then you can keep paying with the gift card on future shops and never be out of pocket.
Like This
Liked by: Madetoshop, sandyf
These have not seemed too appealing to me. I don't love the idea of being out of pocket for the first shop not knowing if I'll ever want to do another one. What do people like ordering at this chain?
@olympia tennenbaum wrote:
These have not seemed too appealing to me. I don't love the idea of being out of pocket for the first shop not knowing if I'll ever want to do another one. What do people like ordering at this chain?
I like their chicken wings. Last week, the bartender recommended the southern fried chicken. That was pretty good too. And you can't go wrong with a refreshing cold beer.
Bar and grill food. We have a local one. Deep dish pizza, personal pizzas, chicken in every way imaginable, salads, soup, mozzarella sticks.
The Pizookie is what they like to be known for in addition to their own brewed beers
The report is easy enough. I did a bar scenario and spent under $40 and will get $65 GC for the next visit.
They have different specials on the day of the week and usually they will offer happy hour for Sunday Night Football and for the entire game on Monday and Thursday nights too
The report is easy enough. I did a bar scenario and spent under $40 and will get $65 GC for the next visit.
They have different specials on the day of the week and usually they will offer happy hour for Sunday Night Football and for the entire game on Monday and Thursday nights too
@Madetoshop wrote:
Bar and grill food. We have a local one. Deep dish pizza, personal pizzas, chicken in every way imaginable, salads, soup, mozzarella sticks.
I love this restaurant but don't have one nearby. I'm traveling this week and there's one a quarter mile up the road from the hotel but I'm not about to do a shop for a gift card I can't use for months or years.
Also they have numerous lunch specials at $13. My fave is unlimited soup and salad. There is a choice of 5 or so soups and 4 salads. You can get them all. Soup includes an ale chili bowl but unfortunately my fave the tomato basil is not on the menu anymore. Wed is a huge burger with unlimited fries. We had the one with jalapenos, avocado and bacon and some salad stuff. Too big to wrap your mouth around. They are really good about sensible substitutions too like a different dressing than the one that comes or things on the side and I always get the tomato sauce added on pizzas that are set to come with only crushed tomato.
Like This
Liked by: olympia tennenbaum, Mellifluy, MisterBill
I still have over $100 in gift cards left from when Cheesecake Factory did this many years ago. Every time I think about going there I look at the menu and decide not to. Even a slice of cheesecake there is over $10 now. I can buy an entire cheesecake somewhere else for that amount. I find their menu uninteresting. But I do like to go to BJ's so in this case I find it a win win situation. Food I like, good daily specials, a chance to have a meal for the job and have enough left on the gift card for another visit.
Have done 2 dinner shops. My average spend for 2 people has been $73. (Appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 drinks, one salad each time). The prices seem higher since I did these shops with the previous MSC. I highly recommend planning these for lunch to get better pricing and specials.
I have yet to see one of these listed. Someone must scarf them all up in my area as soon as they post.
they are not scarfed up. They were not even self-assign. you had to "apply" for them.
i have the pizzookie pass.
the bar shops can easily be done for under $30 if you are not trying to get out of control.
i have the pizzookie pass.
the bar shops can easily be done for under $30 if you are not trying to get out of control.
In my area October was the fist month so if you missed them you only missed them once.
@DRJ wrote:
I have yet to see one of these listed. Someone must scarf them all up in my area as soon as they post.
I just now see the first one of these posted in my area, but it's due today and the restaurant closed hours ago. It is self assign too, so I have to think these are being scarfed up, but someone flaked on this one. The gift card is only for $65 though. I thought it was supposed to be $100. And yes, it is the Pizookie place.
There are three scenarios and one of them pays a $65 gift card. I did that one last month. I was offered a last minute shop at the end of October which I assume was due to someone flaking. So that is happening!
I've been to BJs once. My take on it was that it's one of those restaurants (like Cheesecake Factory) that does a little bit of everything but none of it well.
If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.