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Is this a thing in countries other than the USA?

nayuki 4y ago
The tipping situation is numerically very similar in Canada, unsurprisingly. But at least in Canada, the waiter brings a wireless point-of-sale machine to the table for you to pay. Whereas in American, they take your credit card all the way to the cash register (unsafe!), bring the receipt to your table, make you write the tip and total on the receipt, and collect the receipt.
- kylehotchkiss 4y ago
  There’s handheld machines now at American restaurants which have a very bold tip screen. At the one I see it at, the waiter (who usually only took our order, didn’t even fill drinks, bring food, etc) holds it towards me and says “tip?” instead of the common “it’ll ask you a few questions”. Maybe it’s a clover POS system?
  - nayuki 4y ago
    Handheld POS terminals exist in America but I found them to be rare. When I was in New Orleans last year and went to a bunch of restaurants, 9 out of 10 of them had the traditional opaque payment system. Only at one restaurant did I I experience the waiter bringing the wireless POS to my table.
Pxtl 4y ago
Yes. Here in Canada it's a couple percent points less (15-20%, I here it's higher there) and servers have a proper minimum wage, but tipping is still expected here. And the pandemic has shifted things and now everybody's got tip options on the takeout touchpad... I'm iffy on that. It was one thing when everything was shut down and so takeout was a fallback for restaurants with a lot of staff, but that's over.
kiwijamo 4y ago
I've only ever seen this in the US. Not in Europe, Asia nor Oceania.
hnav 4y ago
it’s been exported to mexico and others, especially tourist traps where a lot of americans come
davidgay 4y ago
It used to be. For instance, France passed a law in 1987 to include an automatic tip on all bills (12-15%), i.e., switched from optional to automatic tipping. AIUI, French restaurant menus still say "service compris" (service included). And, FWIW, the top hit about this when I searched for articles on this in French is an article where the hotel-industry association is thinking about getting tipping reintroduced... (https://www.ouest-france.fr/europe/france/restauration-bientot-la-fin-du-service-compris-220076 https://www.ouest-france.fr/europe/france/restauration-bient...)

The tipping situation is numerically very similar in Canada, unsurprisingly. But at least in Canada, the waiter brings a wireless point-of-sale machine to the table for you to pay. Whereas in American, they take your credit card all the way to the cash register (unsafe!), bring the receipt to your table, make you write the tip and total on the receipt, and collect the receipt.

kylehotchkiss 4y ago
There’s handheld machines now at American restaurants which have a very bold tip screen. At the one I see it at, the waiter (who usually only took our order, didn’t even fill drinks, bring food, etc) holds it towards me and says “tip?” instead of the common “it’ll ask you a few questions”. Maybe it’s a clover POS system?
- nayuki 4y ago
  Handheld POS terminals exist in America but I found them to be rare. When I was in New Orleans last year and went to a bunch of restaurants, 9 out of 10 of them had the traditional opaque payment system. Only at one restaurant did I I experience the waiter bringing the wireless POS to my table.

Pxtl 4y ago

Yes. Here in Canada it's a couple percent points less (15-20%, I here it's higher there) and servers have a proper minimum wage, but tipping is still expected here. And the pandemic has shifted things and now everybody's got tip options on the takeout touchpad... I'm iffy on that. It was one thing when everything was shut down and so takeout was a fallback for restaurants with a lot of staff, but that's over.

kiwijamo 4y ago

I've only ever seen this in the US. Not in Europe, Asia nor Oceania.

hnav 4y ago

it’s been exported to mexico and others, especially tourist traps where a lot of americans come

davidgay 4y ago

It used to be. For instance, France passed a law in 1987 to include an automatic tip on all bills (12-15%), i.e., switched from optional to automatic tipping. AIUI, French restaurant menus still say "service compris" (service included). And, FWIW, the top hit about this when I searched for articles on this in French is an article where the hotel-industry association is thinking about getting tipping reintroduced... (https://www.ouest-france.fr/europe/france/restauration-bientot-la-fin-du-service-compris-220076 https://www.ouest-france.fr/europe/france/restauration-bient...)