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Jun 26, 2023

Customer outraged after credit card machine shames her for being 'bad tipper'

A customer has taken to social media to share how she was shamed by a credit card machine for declining to leave a 20 per cent tip after ordering a smoothie to-go When it comes to working in the

A customer has taken to social media to share how she was shamed by a credit card machine for declining to leave a 20 per cent tip after ordering a smoothie to-go

When it comes to working in the hospitality industry, many Americans rely on customer tips to bump up their pay packets. However, it seems it's not just service workers striving for 10 to 20 per cent on the bill - but also credit card machines.

One woman has slammed America's tipping culture after a credit card machine branded her a 'bad tipper' when paying for her $10.51 (£8.33) smoothie. Taking to TikTok, Charlotte Muller, known as breathe_strength online, said: "Tipping is getting out of hand. I went to a really popular smoothie establishment two days ago to get my fiancé an acai berry boost.

"She [the server] rings me up. She says your total is $10.51 - and I'm like 'Oh, that's an expensive smoothie'. But it's literally Long Island, it's fine. Then she goes 'Do you want to round up?' and I'm like 'No, how about you round down' but I didn't say that.

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"I pay with my card and I'm prompted to leave a tip and it's automatically highlighted at 20 per cent. In my head I'm like 'I'm not tipping'.

"I'm literally just grabbing my smoothie and leaving. I do tip if I'm sitting at the establishment or I'm using their things - but I'm paying a top dollar for this smoothie so I click no tip.

"Then an alert comes up on the credit card machine all in caps - it says 'bad tip'. When I tell you, I stood there and waited for my smoothie embarrassed. I literally got shamed from a credit card machine."

Following the experience, Charlotte has been left wondering whether her server added more to her bill in the first place to get more money out of her.

Commenting on her video, one user said: "I don't understand tipping. I'm supposed to tip my wedding photographer but not tip my plumber? It doesn't make sense."

Another user added: "I always tip... literally anywhere that asks. What's $2 to me? But if everyone tips their teenage baristas $2 that adds up to actually help them."

A third user said: "Considering I work somewhere where I rely on tips, I generally give at least a dollar in tips when I get stuff because like why not?" One more user added: "I bought a T-shirt at a concert the other day and was prompted to tip… I was shocked."

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