On 26/02/2012 21:05, Mark Goodge wrote:
On Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:09:37 -0600, Stephen Sprunk put finger to keyboard
and typed:

On 26-Feb-12 12:52, Roland Perry wrote:
In , at 18:32:17 on Sun, 26 Feb
2012, Adam H. remarked:
What do you do ... at a restaurant, when the tip amount to be charged
is not known until later,

In a UK restaurant you have to add the tip to the bill before contacting
the card company. That's not so very different from my experience in the
USA where they give you the bill, with an empty field for the tip, which
you hand to the waiter *filled in* (along with your card).

The only* way I've ever seen it in the US is this:

1. The waiter presents an itemized bill _without_ a tip line.
2. You either give him cash (including tip) or a card.
3. The waiter swipes the card in the register, which authorizes the card
for the bill plus an estimated tip.
4. The waiter returns with the card and two slips showing the subtotal,
empty tip line, and empty total line.
5. You fill in the tip and total on the "merchant copy" slip, sign the
slip and hand it back to the waiter. You can leave now. (You should
also fill the tip and total on the "customer copy" slip, for your own
records.)
6. The waiter enters the tip into the register, which updates the credit
card transaction with the correct total for when it's posted later.

That's completely different to the UK. Here (assuming we're paying by card,
not cash), the process is:

1. The waiter hands you the bill without a tip line.

2. You insert your card into a handheld CNP terminal. (Depending on the
restaurant, the terminal will either be brought to your table - they are
wireless - or you will go to a payment station with your card. Obviously,
the more upmarket the restaurant the more likely it is that they'll bring
the terminal to you - going to a payment station is more likely in the
likes of Pizza Hut).

3. The waiter rings up the total excluding a tip, then hands you the
terminal.

4. The terminal now gives you two options: Pay the amount as stated, or add
an additional sum.

5. If you choose to add a tip, you enter the amount into the terminal
yourself. The terminal then displays a new total.

6. Once you are happy with the amount you are paying, you press the
"confirm" button.

7. The terminal then prompts you for your PIN.

8. You enter the PIN, wait a few moments while the transaction is
authorised and then the terminal prints a receipt[1]. The receipt includes
the amount of the tip.

You only enter your PIN once, after the final amount (including tip) has
been calculated. And there is only one payment receipt.

[1] Or, of course, declines your card or rejects the PIN. In which case,
you'd better have an alternative method of paymenht :-)

Mark

Many places try to put a 12.5% service charge onto the bill now, but
that is completely optional and you can request to have it removed.