Tipping with card

fjon

Yesterday I ate out at a restaurant. Bill came to €36, I was paying by card and told the waiter to take €40. He then informs me that they can't take tips like this, and could only take the actual amount on the receipt.
Neither of us had cash so we had to leave without tipping.

This is the first time I've been told this - I've paid and tipped with card plenty of times like this. Sometimes (very rarely) I seem to remember the card machines actually allow you to enter the tip amount as well (which is the norm in the US).

Anyone in the business know the reason for this, and how to get about it? For people not carrying cash it seems unfair on the waiters that they can't tip unless they have cash.

Nody

Only reason I could see would be if they had typed in the amount beforehand or similar but I've never had a problem with tipping with CC.

djk1000

Some owners don't want to deal with any possible hassle with tax, since tips are taxable and should be declared to revenue. tipping on credit card means the employer is handing cash to the employee and should be deducting paye/prsi on it.

ScouseMouse

Or it could be because the business pays a percentage of what goes through the card, in bank charges. This means if you tip a tenner on a visa debit or credit card, the bank charges so many %, resulting in the staff member putting his hand out for a tenner but the business only getting 9.??? from the bank.

Ultimately, you are costing the business more money with your nice gesture.

Hope that makes sense.:)

Dinkie

I've been told also, that if you tip be cc, the server may not actually receive the tip - so maybe they were hoping that you would leave cash instead?

I usually leave the tip through cc also, but am told occassionally that they can't accept it this way.

mikemac1

Not a problem to add a gratuity on the credit card machine.

Maybe the guy was hoping you'd just give cash instead?

Management tend to pocket anything that goes through the credit card. Even if you gave 4 euro odds are your waiter would never see it

ladysarah

the same thing happened in the hsirdresser I go to. A woman asked the receptionist to add 4 euros for the stylist and was told she couldnot do it.

P. Breathnach

mikemac1 wrote: »

Not a problem to add a gratuity on the credit card machine.

That depends on the policy of the establishment.

...
Management tend to pocket anything that goes through the credit card. Even if you gave 4 euro odds are your waiter would never see it

Management do not generally pocket amounts added as gratuities. There is usually a house arrangement for sharing it out. It probably does not go directly to the server who looked after your table.

mikemac1

You've worked in better establishments then I have

slimjimmc

OP, I've come across the same situation myself recently.

uberwolf

I tend to ask the staff whether any tip I'm about to leave on a card will go to them. As often as not it doesn't go to the staff and I leave cash instead if I can.