Visa Signature Partners with Zagat Survey

"Visa Signature cardholders have a clear affinity for fine wine and food, and they dine out seven times every two weeks on average,” said Jim McCarthy, senior vice president, Visa USA. “They want to savor every experience — from casual dinners to tasting the country’s best food and wine. Our epicurean offerings help them do this by providing unique information and access to gourmet events that appeal to their desire to refine their palate.”

Research indicates that the new affluent — Visa Signature’s core audience, defined as U.S. households with $125,000 or more in annual income — rely on the Internet when seeking information and making decisions, including where to dine. Affluent consumers are 73 percent more likely than the average consumer to be heavy Internet users. And the overwhelming majority of Visa Signature cardholders (92 percent) who make restaurant reservations online tend also to research restaurants on the Internet.

At www.visa.com/signaturefood, the time-stretched affluent consumer has an easy way to pursue their epicurean interests online, where they most often go for information. The site features information on fine dining and wine, as well as a point of entry to unique epicurean events, including:

• Complimentary access to the latest Zagat restaurant ratings and reviews.
• Access to epicurean events through partnerships with Sonoma County Vintners, Bon Appétit and Gourmet. These events provide opportunities to taste the best food and wine in the country and include unforgettable Sonoma wine country experiences, private dinners with chefs and wine makers, and wine and food pairing events.
• Special benefits at more than 40 Sonoma County wineries, including complimentary wine tastings and discounts on purchases.
• Cooking classes through a new partnership with the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE).
• Dining reservations at restaurants worldwide through the Visa Signature Concierge.

Unique Zagat Through Visa’s new partnership with Zagat Survey, Visa Signature cardholders can enjoy access to Zagat information, which is based on the opinions of thousands of avid restaurant-goers worldwide. The Visa Signature Dining site enables cardholders to learn what other discerning diners think about new restaurants via Zagat’s online community of food and wine enthusiasts. They will also receive discounts on subscriptions to ZAGAT.com, which offers unlimited access to ratings and reviews for restaurants in 85 cities worldwide, nightlife in 23 cities, hotels in 103 countries and attractions in 158 cities.

Visa Signature cardholders who want to stay informed while on the move can receive discounted subscriptions to ZAGAT TO GO. ZAGAT TO GO gives users mobile access to restaurant ratings and reviews, as well as information on the top bars, nightclubs and lounges, the world’s top hotels, and top U.S. golf courses via PDA’s and cell phones. Cardholders can find exactly what they’re looking for quickly and easily, and they can add reservations directly to their PDA calendar.

“Visa Signature cardholders have a distinctive taste for all things epicurean. Through this new partnership, we’re combining the shared experiences of 300,000 savvy Zagat surveyors with Visa’s broad offerings to give their cardholders the information they want to help them make the best decisions on where to dine,” said Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat Survey.