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bsder07/31/20253 repliesview on HN

> But today, who's getting tips in cash?

Every server who waits on me.

I make it a point to carry cash and tip the waitstaff in cash even if I pay the bill on my credit card.

1) Tips on credit cards are a "dark pattern" meant to increase the house rake of the credit card handling companies.

2) Tips on credit cards are controlled by the owner and often never make it to the waitstaff.

I can short circuit this by giving my servers tips in cash.


Replies

kelnos08/01/2025

Sure, but I think you have to admit that tips have been moving more and more to credit cards, and fewer and fewer people tip with cash. You can keep doing what you do (and good on you for doing it), but at least acknowledge that the norm has been shifting for a while now.

show 1 reply
godelski08/01/2025

This is easier to understand when you actually understand what the tipping law is. That tips may act as a credit towards an employee's wage (up to a max that's < 100%). How is the credit calculated? Besides video, the only hard proof is by whatever you write on that receipt.

So like you, I carry cash for tipping. I leave the tip section blank and write the provided total in the "total" line. Then I leave cash. Employee gets to decide if they declare or not (or in other words, if my tip may be credited towards their wage).

frollogaston08/01/2025

Same, but gotta acknowledge that few people do this still. A lot of businesses were even cash-only before coronavirus, now I see 0, at most they do a CC surcharge.