EatClub launches Caviar Reserve dining credit scheme

EatClub has launched Caviar Reserve in Australia, a paid membership that links everyday spending to dining credit redeemable across its network.

The launch comes as changes to Australia's card payments system reshape the rewards market and some banks reduce the value of credit-card perks. Under the new offer, members earn dining credit through eligible purchases made with an EatClub digital card linked to an existing debit or credit card.

Caviar Reserve costs AUD $9.99 a month, with a transaction service fee also applying. Members earn 3% dining credit on eligible grocery purchases and 1% on other eligible transactions. They also get added flexibility on EatClub deals, including the ability to redeem them up to seven days in advance and an extra 30 minutes to settle the bill.

The product is not tied to a specific bank. Instead, users connect the EatClub Digital Card to their current payment card, allowing spending outside the platform's restaurant network to generate credit for future use at participating venues.

The launch follows a cut in the maximum interchange fee on domestic consumer credit in Australia from 0.8% to 0.3%. The change has prompted some card issuers to adjust points earn rates, spending caps and airline transfer settings, creating an opening for alternatives to traditional points-based rewards systems.

Rewards shift

Unlike standard card rewards programmes, which often convert spending into airline points or retail offers, EatClub's model directs returns towards hospitality spending. The credit is redeemable at thousands of participating restaurants, bars and cafés across Australia.

For the hospitality sector, the arrangement is intended to encourage repeat visits without changing how venues are paid. Caviar Reserve rewards are funded separately from restaurant partner arrangements, and participating venues are paid as normal, with no additional cost linked to the rewards scheme.

That distinction may matter for restaurant operators facing weaker discretionary spending as households come under pressure from higher borrowing costs and broader budget constraints. A dining reward tied to groceries and other daily spending could provide a more direct prompt for a return visit than a conventional loyalty points balance.

EatClub has framed the launch as an extension of behaviour it has already seen from users of its EatClub Earn product. Since December 2025, it says it has recorded millions of dollars in out-of-network spending through linked cards, suggesting some customers were already using the app's payment tools beyond restaurant transactions.

"For restaurant partners, Caviar Reserve creates another reason for customers to return, helping to drive spend into the hospitality sector at a time when consumers are increasingly conscious of where their money goes," said Pan Koutlakis, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of EatClub.

He said the programme was designed to link household spending habits more directly to dining.

"Australians are clearly looking for more value from the money they're already spending, and hospitality businesses need to keep giving customers more reasons to walk through the door.

"Caviar Reserve connects those two things. Members can earn Dining Credit on eligible everyday purchases, then put that value towards their next meal. It's a different way of actioning rewards by taking value from spending that is already happening and directing it towards Australians' dining out, which directs more spending back into the hospitality industry.

"We've already seen through EatClub Earn that people are using their EatClub cards for everyday spending outside our restaurant network. Since launching in December 2025, we've captured millions of dollars in out-of-network spending.

Caviar Reserve builds on that behaviour and takes it a step further at a pivotal period for Australian consumers and businesses, creating more opportunities to bring people back to our restaurant partners," Koutlakis said.

Business model

EatClub operates a dining marketplace and pricing platform for hospitality businesses in Australia and the UK. It works with thousands of venues and says its app has been downloaded more than two million times.

The company positions the platform as a way for restaurants to fill quieter periods and manage demand more closely. Caviar Reserve adds a consumer membership layer by giving users a reason to channel more of their everyday transactions through EatClub's payment system.

The result is a hybrid between a dining marketplace and a rewards product. Rather than relying on bank-funded points ecosystems, EatClub is trying to build a closed loop in which household spending outside hospitality generates value that can only be redeemed back into hospitality.

Marco Pierre White has been associated with the platform since its development, reflecting EatClub's effort to broaden its appeal beyond discount-led dining. The latest launch pushes that strategy further by presenting dining credit as a recurring membership benefit rather than a one-off restaurant offer.