Dining out has almost always been more expensive than cooking at home, and the recent inflation surge hasn’t helped make it more financially appealing. On the bright side, there are multiple avenues for saving money at restaurants or earning rewards on your spending.

You could collect bonus points by charging your bill to a credit card that earns extra points on dining. You could collect free food for birthdays and national food holidays. You could pay using discounted gift cards.

But one of the most overlooked ways to capitalize on eating out is by participating in dining rewards programs. Simply sign up for an account, link a credit card and earn rewards by spending at a participating restaurant. The rewards can be put toward your future travels to make your next vacation a little cheaper.

How dining rewards programs work

Most dining rewards follow a similar formula: Create an account with that dining program and link one or more credit cards. Whenever you pay at a participating restaurant using that registered credit card (takeout and delivery usually count, too), you’ll earn points.

Some dining rewards programs are tied to specific airline and hotel brands, with which you’ll earn frequent flyer miles or hotel points. Other programs are more generic, earning you rewards like gift cards.

Dining rewards programs are usually free to join, so there’s almost no reason not to participate. By and large, these are “set it and forget it” rewards programs. Some programs even offer rewards rates of more than 6%, making them an excellent way to earn rewards with very little effort.