DiscoverSocial Currency with Sammi CohenThe Credit Card War Behind Your Dinner Plans
The Credit Card War Behind Your Dinner Plans

The Credit Card War Behind Your Dinner Plans

Update: 2026-01-02
Share

Description

Most people think restaurant reservations are about demand. They’re not.


Today, Sammi breaks down the quiet power struggle happening behind your hardest-to-get dinner reservations — and why credit card companies, not restaurants, increasingly call the shots. From OpenTable’s early dominance to Resy’s cultural takeover and American Express acquisition, Sammi explains how reservations became a tool for loyalty, data, and consumer control.


Once you see how the reservation system really works, you’ll never look at “fully booked” the same way again.


Follow Sammi on Instagram 


Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 


Here’s what Sammi covers today:


00:00 The Hidden Controllers of Restaurant Reservations


01:33 The Rise of OpenTable


03:14 Resy's Disruption


05:14 The Credit Card Wars: Amex vs. Visa


06:55 DoorDash Enters the Arena


08:22 The Bigger Picture: Control and Influence


09:03 Next Episode Teaser



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comments 
In Channel
loading
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

The Credit Card War Behind Your Dinner Plans

The Credit Card War Behind Your Dinner Plans

Social Currency