As of July 1st, Chipotle is now offering a rewards program for their customers. Now, if you are anything like me, then this news has you over the moon. Even with the recent health scares that have happened at this restaurant chain, I still was and am a loyal customer to the mecca of Mexican food. However, I was confused as to how the rewards programmed worked. So, as a connoisseur of Chipotle, I decided to brave the lines in order to be one of the first to be apart of this amazing program.

As I walked in the door of my local Chipotle, I was greeted by an employee handing out what seemed to be gift cards as well as an information card with each of them. Turns out, he was handing out the rewards cards. The employee gave me simple instructions on how to register my card so that way I could start racking up my rewards that day. On both the card and the information pamphlet I was handed were instructions about how to register my card. The registration process only took me about two minutes with the help of my smartphone. I was able to easily register my card online as well have a thorough understanding of the rewards program. One of the biggest things to note about the program is that it is based on your number of visits to Chipotle NOT the amount of food you buy. Two other things to note about the rewards program is that a minimum of $6 needs to be spent in order for it to count as a "visit" and you can only use your rewards card once per day; so no visiting all the Chipotle's in your area in one day in order to rack up the 11 visits it takes to reach hot status for the month.

Getting your rewards is simple! When you checkout after making your bountiful burrito creation, you hand the cashier your payment as well as your rewards card (pictured above) or have them scan a screenshot of the QR code that was generated when you signed up for the program. And it's that simple; a rewards program for the ever hungry eater of Chipotle. However, there are a couple things that I would change about the program or wished they would have done.

As far as I can tell, there is no app support for this card. Now, this may change as Chipotle grows the program. But as of right now, there is no way to track your rewards progress on the Chipotle app. Another thing that I find interesting about this program is that it is only for the summer; there are no reward bonuses, as of right now, that extend beyond September. Now, I am hoping this changes as the program grows but I feel a lot of customers, myself included, would be very disappointed if this program did not become an all-time thing. Finally, and this is a minor thing, but I would have liked to have also gotten a rewards card that I could attach to my keychain. A very small detail, I am aware, but sometimes it is a hassle to get out my card, especially if I already have my keys out with me.

Overall, I am beyond excited that Chipotle has implemented their long-awaited rewards program and I am excited to see where my favorite burrito place goes from here.