Frequently Asked Questions

Zakie is a dining reservation and food ordering platform for Lebanon and Iraq. We connect hungry diners with the best local restaurants, making it easy to browse menus, book tables, and earn rewards — all from one app. We currently serve Beirut, Baghdad, Erbil, and Basra, with more cities launching soon.

Yes — the Zakie app is completely free to download and use. There are no hidden fees for making reservations. Our optional ZKteer premium subscription ($4.99/month) removes all service fees and doubles your ZRewards points, but it's entirely optional.

We currently operate in four cities:

• Beirut, Lebanon — our founding city with 200+ partner restaurants
• Baghdad, Iraq — 150+ restaurants across all major districts
• Erbil, Iraq — 80+ restaurants in the Kurdistan Region
• Basra, Iraq — 70+ restaurants

New cities are added regularly. View all our regions →

Zakie is fully available in English and Arabic. You can switch between languages at any time from the app's Settings menu. Our customer support team is fluent in both languages.

Making a reservation on Zakie takes under 30 seconds:

• Open the app and browse or search for a restaurant
• Select your preferred date, time, and number of guests
• Confirm your booking — no credit card required for most restaurants
• Receive an instant confirmation by SMS and email

You'll also get a reminder notification 2 hours before your reservation.

Yes. You can cancel or modify your reservation directly in the app up to 2 hours before your booking time. Go to My Reservations → [Booking] → Edit or Cancel. For cancellations within 2 hours of the booking, please contact the restaurant directly or use our in-app chat. Some premium restaurants may have their own cancellation policies shown at the time of booking.

If your preferred time is unavailable, Zakie will show you alternative time slots. You can also join the waitlist for that restaurant — if a cancellation comes in, you'll be notified immediately and given a 15-minute window to confirm.

Most restaurants on Zakie do not require prepayment. You simply book and pay at the restaurant when you arrive. A small number of high-demand or premium restaurants may require a deposit to hold your table — this will always be clearly shown before you confirm your booking.

You earn 1 ZReward point for every $1 (or equivalent local currency) spent at any Zakie partner restaurant. You also earn bonus points for:

• Completing your first reservation (+100 points)
• Writing a verified review (+25 points)
• Referring a friend who makes a first booking (+200 points each)
• Dining during Double Points weekends (announced in-app)

ZKteer premium subscribers earn 2x points on all orders. See our Rewards Terms for full details.

You can redeem points for discounts, free meals, and partner offers directly from the Rewards tab in the app. Minimum redemption is 500 points = $5 discount. Points can be redeemed at any partner restaurant at checkout. Redemptions are instant and applied to your bill before you pay.

Yes. Points expire 12 months after the date they were earned if your account has been inactive (no dining activity). If you make at least one dining reservation per year, your points are automatically renewed. ZKteer subscribers enjoy extended 24-month point validity.

ZKteer is Zakie's premium membership. For just $4.99/month (or $39.99/year), you get:

• Zero service or reservation fees on all bookings
• 2x ZRewards points on every order
• Extended point validity (24 months instead of 12)
• Priority customer support
• Early access to exclusive dining events and new restaurant launches

You can cancel ZKteer at any time from Settings → ZKteer → Manage Subscription. You'll continue to enjoy ZKteer benefits until the end of your current billing period. We don't offer partial refunds, but you'll never be charged again after cancellation.

Visit our Restaurant Registration page, fill out a 3-step form with your restaurant's details, and submit. Our partnerships team will review your application within 2 business days and contact you to complete onboarding. The process is completely free.

Zakie charges restaurants a small commission on confirmed dining reservations — typically between 3“8% depending on your restaurant volume and partnership tier. There are no upfront fees, no monthly fees, and no setup costs. You only pay when Zakie brings you a confirmed diner. Contact our partnerships team at partners@zakieapp.com for your exact rate.

Zakie actively promotes your restaurant to thousands of diners through our app, push notifications, and marketing campaigns. Our smart availability engine shows your open tables to nearby users who match your cuisine type. Restaurants on Zakie report an average 30% increase in reservations within their first 3 months.

For in-app purchases (ZKteer subscriptions, prepaid deposits), Zakie accepts:

• Visa and Mastercard (credit and debit)
• Apple Pay and Google Pay
• OMT and Cash by Code (Lebanon)
• ZainCash (Iraq)

For your actual dining bill, payment is made directly to the restaurant using any method they accept.

If you cancel a reservation that required a prepaid deposit within the restaurant's cancellation window (shown at the time of booking), your deposit will be refunded to your original payment method within 5“10 business days. If you cancel outside the window, refund eligibility depends on the individual restaurant's policy. Contact our support team if you have any issues.