Restaurant gift cards

Compare Gift Cards » Restaurant Gift Cards

Gift cards have become a staple of the holiday season. There are wide range of choices to suit your interests, including cards from airlines, grocery stores, restaurants and more. If you don't want all that plastic, you'll find a wide selection of digital gift cards, and a growing number of smartphone apps will help you keep track of them all.

Before you get one, make sure to read the fine print. Not all gift cards are the same. They vary widely in expiration dates, the amount of fees they charge, whether they can be replaced if stolen, and whether they're reloadable.

To help you decide, Bankrate.com has surveyed 63 gift cards and compared a variety of features. The survey included general purpose "open-loop" gift cards and store-branded "closed-loop" cards. Bankrate.com gathered data on a variety of topics, from expiration dates and fees to e-gift card availability and free shipping.

To view the other card categories, click on the tabs.

• Money loading limits
• Expiration date?
• Dormancy or maintenance fees?
• Card and/or funds replaced after loss/theft?

• PIN?*
• Reloadable?
• E-card available?
• Online balance check?

• Free shipping/delivery?**
• Purchase fees?
• Other details

Note: The black dot indicates the answer is yes or the feature is available.

Restaurant gift cards
Brinker (Chili's, Romano's Macaroni Grill, On the Border, Maggiano's Little Italy)	$5-$100			•			•	•			Brinker Shipping is $3.95 for orders of $200 or less.
Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, The Capital Grille)	$10-$250 (Darden card, Red Lobster, Longhorn, Bahama Breeze); $25-$250 (Seasons 52, Olive Garden); $50-$250 (Eddie V's); $50-$1,000 (Capital Grille)					•	•	•			Darden Restaurants The card is reloadable only if the card does not have a value printed on the front. An e-card is available for Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Longhorn. Shipping costs $1.95 for a Darden card, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn and Bahama Breeze. Shipping is free for Capital Grille, Seasons 52 and Eddie V's.
McDonald's	$5-$50			•		•		•			McDonald's The card can only be purchased in the store.
OSI Restaurants (Outback, Carabba's, Bonefish Grill, Fleming's, Roy's)	$10-$200							•
Panera Bread	$2-$200			•		•		•			Panera Bread Shipping costs are different for residences and businesses.
Pizza Hut	$10, $20; e-cards: $5-$100			•		•	•	•
Starbucks	$15-$100; e-cards: $5-$100			•		•	•	•	•		Starbucks Replacement is available only for registered cards.
Taco Bell	$10, $20			•				•			Taco Bell The card can only be purchased in the store.

*PIN defined as a cardholder-created security code needed to conduct a transaction involving a card, whether it's checking a balance, making a purchase or something else. It does not include PINs that are found on the back of a card.

**Free shipping/delivery is only for physical cards. Being able to send an e-card for free doesn't qualify.

Source: Survey conducted by Bankrate.com from late September through early October 2012.