Here’s a conversation that should be familiar to anyone who’s tried to deciding on a place to eat:
“Where do you want to eat?”
“I dunno, where do you want to eat?”
“I’m not sure. So where do you want to eat?”
“Someplace good, I guess. How about you?”
Rinse and repeat. Indecision can cost a lot of time. I’ve read a study somewhere that people can take up to two and a half hours trying to figure out where to eat. Now, I love eating, but that’s too much time; I’d rather spend my time, you know, actually eating.
Fortunately, I discovered the Seated app. The thing has been time-saver; both in terms of recommending places to eat, and letting my reserve tables. No time wasted deciding, no time wasted waiting for a table. It’s a modern life-saver.
Below is a thorough review of Seated. Check it out!
Seated: the app that lets you be seated
Released only last year, Seated is a brand-spanking new app that lets you find new restaurants, make reservations, and earn gift cards. It sounds simple, and it definitely is, but the real-world benefits of an app like this are pretty sweet.
Seated is a reconfigured version of the Vocolife app. I’ve never used Vocolife, but the Seated features are definitely awesome. If these features are new to Seated, then good job on the development team!
Seated has over two thousand partner restaurants in major US cities, including New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Seattle. The list of restaurants and cities continues to grow, so be sure to check the site often for an updated list.
One good thing about the restaurants found on Seated is that they were all pre-screened. No shady establishments here!
How to use the app
Does Seated look useful to you? If it does, time to register and activate your account. The process is super-simple.
1. Get the Seated app and install it on your smartphone
Follow the links below to download the app:
Link: https://www.seatedapp.io
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seated-rewards-for-dining-out/id1031760854?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vc.voco&hl=en
2. Register
Provide the requested details, such as your phone number. You can also log in using your Facebook account.
Reminder: Seated uses your location to pull restaurant recommendations. So make sure you give the app permission to use your location.
3. Discover new establishments
Once you’ve installed the app and registered, it’s time for the fun part! The app will immediately recommend nearby restaurants. But that said, you can still filter the recommendations or search results. Search options include:
Location
Budget
Type of food served
Popularity
When you’ve selected a restaurant you can view user reviews, and detailed info on the place, including its menu. You can also check out the approximate amount of reward points you could earn. (This changes depending on the number of people in your group)
4. Book your table!
Once you’ve found a restaurant you want to go to, time to reserve your table. Simply provide your preferred time, date, and size of group, then reserve.
If you suddenly want to cancel your reservation, you have fifteen minutes to do so. But don’t do it often. Deadbeat members can be charged a $5 penalty, so think before you reserve.
Pro Tip: After reserving your table, I would recommend giving your name and contact details to the restaurant manager just to be extra sure. This is also helpful in case you run late. At least you’ll know who to call.
And if your reservation does get lost, you can always manually reserve a table. You’ll still be entitled to rewards.
That’s all there is to it!
Rewards
The rewards program is a big part of Seated. I mean, I’m already going out and eating in restaurants. Why not earn some rewards while I’m at it? You have the option of getting rewards for Amazon , Lyft, or Starbucks.
To get those rewards, you’ll have to pay with a credit card linked to your Seated account or send a picture of your receipt.
Boost your rewards using Seated promo codes
Here’s a pro-tip: promo codes can help you make the most of your rewards. You can add promo codes in the Settings in your app settings.
Here’s a list of codes. These codes also provide a sign-up bonus worth $10. Try them out, but remember that Seated frequently deactivates codes and adds new ones.
LYFTXSEATED
LAURA551
CHAD36
DEEPAK8
NICOLLE1
SAPREEN0
BETTY15
BENJI15
STEPHEN178
KAYLA155
RICHA11
HEENA2
JJ14
JONATHAN333
FARHAD2
SALLY42
ARTHUR9
JOSH399
JULIE104
STANLEY12
WAI-YIN
PAUL128
DANIEL320
LYDIA64
SAMANTHA358
Need a Lyft?
Since earlier this year, Seated has partnered exclusively with Lyft. Whenever you recommend Seated to a friend, you get $10 in Lyft credit! Note that this is subject to terms and conditions, so read the fine print first.
You can redeem your Lyft credits, or invite friends in the Me section of the app. The app will give you a unique code to share, and there are also option to share on Facebook or via text. If a friend signs up on Seated using the code you gave, that’s $5 on top of the ten dollar reward you already have!
It may take up to three days to get your rewards, but there were times when I got mine in as little as one day.
More Pro Tips
I’ve shown you how to maximize your rewards using promo codes, but I have two more secrets to share with you:
1. If you’re part of a group, pay using your card, and have everyone pay you in cash. That way you get the maximize the rewards your entitled to.
2. As much as I love going back to a single restaurant over and over, that isn’t the best way to earn rewards. Seated likes to spread those rewards around to encourage you to try new places. That’s actually a plus for me, since it encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone!
3. If you think you’re missing any rewards you’ve earned, don’t worry. Simply send a picture of your receipt(s) to [email protected].
4. Help spread the love! Every time you make a reservation, Seated donates a meal via the United Nations World Food Programme’s app ShareTheMeal. Seated hopes to one day share over a million meals. Let’s help them make this a reality!
A real-world example
Seated is pretty awesome on paper, but does it translate in the real world? I think so! Recently, I’ve been wanting to try out Daniel Boulud’s eponymous New York restaurant. I’m a big fan of French cuisine, and of Daniel himself. (I was introduced to his cooking at the now-closed Boulud Brasserie at the Wynn Las Vegas) Thing is I could never get a table at his restaurant.
So I tried booking a table via Seated, and voila. It worked!
I also learned that diners usually get $20 in rewards, which was pretty sweet. I noticed the amount of rewards changed depending on the time, date, and number of people in my party. Basically, the more people, the higher the reward. A group of eight people will earn $40 in rewards. I was dining solo (it’s easier to focus on the food that way) and earned $10. Still pretty awesome.
The amount of rewards increased past mid-afternoon. Kind of strange, since I expected the app to incentivize off-peak dining, but hey, more rewards for me.
Seated for Restaurants
The app benefits not just diners, but restaurant owners as well. It provides them a way to boost revenue, attract more customers, and raise awareness about its menu and services. Seated also functions as a reservation-management system, which is handy for establishments that can’t afford high-tech, custom solutions.
There are no upfront costs (for restos and diners). Seated gets paid when a restaurant gets customers via the app. Seated claims that restaurants can substantially increase profits using the app. So it’s all win-win.
The Verdict: Legit or Scam?
Legit! Seated has pretty high ratings: iOS rate it 4.8 / 5 stars, while Android users rate it 4.3/5 stars.
I love Seated because it helped me discover new places… all while giving me rewards! That’s a pretty sweet deal, no matter how you look at it.
The one thing that keeps Seated from becoming a perfect, 5-star app in my book is that rewards are sometimes a bit low for the purchase minimums. I hope Seated calibrates that, but for now, I’m a satisfied (and full) customer.
Seated Screenshots
Click to Zoom
Your Turn
This is my review based on my own experiences. If you’ve tried Seated, and discovered some great new places using it, I wanna hear it! Do you have any other systems or secrets for maximizing rewards? If you're new to Seated, use code VIKAS6 to get an extra $5 reward.
Let’s hear your stories!
