$10 Singtel Credit for Every 2 Reservations on HungryGoWhere

Deal Rating: 7/10 – Particularly good for those who often dine alone

Expiry: 31 Mar 2019

Pre-Requisites:

• Singtel Dash Account
• HungryGoWhere account (registered with the same number as your Singtel Dash Account)
• Thick skin (you’re going to need to say “I have a HungryGoWhere reservation for 1 person….”)

This deal has actually been on since Nov 2018, but I only recently started using it and figured out the mechanics of the deal.

I see this as $5 off my bill (with no stated minimum spend!) for every reservation made – but as per the mechanics of the deal, you only get the credit for every 2 reservations.

This deal actually took me a little bit of time to “figure out” because the eligibility for the deal was actually not all that clear.

If you often dine alone, this deal is quite amazing. The reason is because you can potentially get free food, or can even get paid to eat.

My approach to maximise this deal has been to identify cheap restaurants that appear on the HungryGoWhere app, make a reservation for one person (myself), and order one meal that’s ~$5.

If your total bill is less than $5, you still get $10 credit for every 2 reservations.

Hypothetically, you could dine twice at the same restaurant that has $4 meal, and you’ve literally paid -$2 for your 2 meals.

Let me use an example to illustrate what I mean.

Example – How to Get “Free Food” out of this Deal

This is part of a menu from a restaurant called “A1 Indian Curry North Indian & Lebanese Food”, located at 12 Pahang Street, Singapore 198613. Malaysians would know this kind of restaurant as a “mamak”.

I’d like to draw your attention towards the selections under “Rice & Noodles”. The prices range between $5-7.

In the context of this deal, this means you’re going to be paying an effective $0-2 for meals from this restaurant.

Want to be paid $2.10 for an order from this restaurant? Go and order Basmati Rice for $2.90 (the first item).

How To Make A Reservation On The HungrygoWhere App

I’m going to assume that you already have a Singtel Dash account. If not, follow the steps here.

1. Download the app (Play Store/iOS)
2. Open an account – ensure you use the same phone number as your Singtel Dash account, because this is the only link I am aware of between these apps, which is what allows you to get paid
   • There is no referral program (at the moment)
3. Open the app – go to the “Explore” tab (second)
4. Select “Change Location” and select “Use my location”
5. Tap on the map – this allows you to view restaurants around you that are on the HungryGoWhere platform
   • I found one restaurant that had actually moved – Khao (Thai Food) – previously on Sultan Gate.
   • Restaurants appear whether they are open or closed
6. Select a restaurant you would like to dine at to get your effective $5 discount
7. You will be able to select a desired date, time and # of pax on the next screen
   • You will not always be able to make last minute reservations, so keep that in mind
8. Confirm your reservation. Your reservation will now appear in the “More” section of the app as an upcoming reservation
   • The restaurant will receive a SMS of the reservation
9. Attend your reservation. You do not need to pay using Singtel Dash. In fact, if the restaurant accepts FavePay, GrabPay or MilesLife, you can probably pay with it (provided the restaurant allows). I haven’t been rejected by a restaurant yet for paying with any of these platforms, despite it also being a HungryGoWhere reservation.
10. If you have successfully completed a reservation and subsequently completed the requirements of the promotion, the following should happen:
    • You will receive an email with the subject line, “Your reservation at [Restaurant Name]”
    • You will receive an email asking you “Did you like your meal at [Restaurant Name]?”
    • A few business days later, you should receive a SMS from 77766 (I think it’s a Singtel Dash number) saying:
      • Congrats! You have successfully completed 2 reservations with HungryGoWhere! $10 Dash credit has been added to your Dash account. Login to your Singtel Dash app to check your new balance.
    • This process (of needing to wait a few days for the SMS from Singtel Dash) suggests to me there is some manual processing involved

If your reservation gets cancelled (either by yourself, or the restaurant), you will be notified by email with the subject line, “Cancellation of Your Reservation at [Restaurant Name]”.

So where should I be going for (almost) free food?

Avoid Western restaurants, because they tend to be expensive. Good choices tend to be Thai, Chinese, Dessert Places, Ice Cream, or any local joints. Some restaurants actually have a rough price indicator in the app through “$” symbols.

Why Does This Promotion Exist?

There are several theories I came up with – and they’re honestly not ground-breaking. There are effectively 4 (wait – 3? I just found out Singtel bought HungryGoWhere in 2012) parties in this:

• Singtel Dash trying to increase usage of their app – even though you don’t have to pay for your bill with it – but it gets people talking about it, I guess?
• HungryGoWhere (owned by Singtel too) trying to increase usage of their app – they definitely aren’t a big name, and I guess this is one way to do things… but I’m no marketing expert.
• Restaurants trying to increase patronage by leveraging off this promotion
• Consumers – us – getting a promotion, as a result of this marketing campaign

As far as I am aware, restaurants pay HungryGoWhere for reservations made via the app at their restaurant. How much? I don’t know. I’d imagine each restaurant may have their own individual agreement with HungryGoWhere.

What If I Want to Eat at a Western Restaurant? What If I Have 4 Pax?

That is fine.

Your Western Restaurant bill will effectively be $5 off. For example, if you can find a place that sells burgers for $10, that burger is effectively $5, which is still a good deal!

If you have 4 pax, that’s fine too. In fact, you’ll apparently get a $5 Grab Promo Code! It will still effectively be $5 off your bill. However, I’d recommend you also have a look at Eatigo (which I haven’t posted about yet – but I should!).

Eatigo is an app that allows you to make reservations and get a percentage discount off the bill, which with multiple people, may end up being a larger discount than $5. If your restaurant is listed on Eatigo with a substantial % discount, then go for it!

Final Comments/Tips

From what I’ve observed, HungryGoWhere is a reasonably unknown app. Even the restaurant staff are sometimes perplexed when I mention I have a “HungryGoWhere reservation” – as if they haven’t heard of it.

To ensure you qualify, just make sure you make it clear to staff that you are here for a HungryGoWhere reservation. It’s best to mention your name, the time, and # of pax. If you do not mention it, you risk the restaurant cancelling your reservation based on the assumption that you did not turn up – thus saving them from paying a commission.

I had an interesting experience last night. I dined at Wanton Fu (and paid with FavePay), mentioned that I had a HungryGoWhere reservation, which from my brilliant listening skills, I believe, was acknowledged. However, I’ve just checked my email and noticed my reservation was cancelled. Why? I don’t know – I presume it’s one of the following:

• The staff member did not mention my attendance of my reservation to their boss/whoever manages HungryGoWhere, so this person proceeded to cancel my booking
• The restaurant was quite empty, so “there was no need for a reservation” (and it saves them commission!)

I still have the receipt (oh – there’s another tip, to help you follow up, if necessary) so I will probably email HungryGoWhere to prove that I actually dined there.

Any comments and tips to share about the mechanics of the deal? Feel free to comment!