Sorry Denny's but this is a huge reason why I've stayed away. Your technology absolutely sucks and the customer is the one who is stuck paying a full bill because your computer systems can't redeem the promos you send out.
I tested this one with an online order because I've been burned too many times in the past. This order is clearly over $25 and promo won't apply to the appetizer (wings). 🤦♂️
Denny's rewards program really is the worst, offering the least amount of value. Basically spend $60 and get one free item off of a very limited menu with almost zero appealing options or anything that you'd be likely to order on your own. Keep in mind this program has largely replaced the far more flexible 20% coupons or $5 off $25 that were commonly offered (almost every month) and the keychain tags they used for years prior to moving everything online.
The one saving grace (for me) was soda, you could basically get your beverage free by redeeming your "Booth Bucks". Now that option is gone. Coffee, iced tea or milk. No Coca-Cola.
I was a regular at Denny's for a long time... weekly visits, sometimes more (especially when they served the pumpkin spice or salted caramel pancakes). There are 4 stores all within about 10 minutes of me and I would visit them all. I think I'm a pretty good tipper, the servers recognized me and always seemed happy to see me. Multiple stores gave me a key tag as a "regular" before that program got cancelled. I still enjoy the food, never complained too much about price increases because a 20% discount was relatively easy to get (but certainly more difficult once corporate canceled the key tags).
But the entire value proposition is gone now. This new rewards program is awful. The previous management's efforts to centralize all promotions at HQ and remove the individual store's discretion (along with inadequate tech support) resulted in the stock price losing 2/3 of its value. I assumed the new ownership team, especially since it is comprised of one of the largest franchisees, would go right to work reversing some of the mistakes made under the last regime. Instead they seem to be pushing forward - investing more into this awful rewards program while stripping out the very small amount of value that remained. A free Coke after spending $60 is too rich for you? So ridiculous.
I just dont see who Denny's is trying to appeal to any more. It is no longer about value. People like "rewards" but you can't have a program that simply doesn't have any payoff, there are too many rewards programs for people to keep track of anyway, and then a short list of garbage "rewards" is just going to piss people off.
Sayonara Denny's. I'll probably stop by 3 or 4 times a year, and stick with the $10 Super Slam - but the days of weekly visits with omelettes, skillets, extra pancakes, burgers... $23 spend, yea that's over.