Tips on bills?

Kernow_Kid

We went out for a lovely meal last night in a restaurant that we had never been to before. :beer:
When I went to pay, the manager gave me the bill, I gave him my card.
He inserted it in the machine, and I entered my PIN as I would normally do, and passed the machine back to him.
Luckily, he was an honest man and passed it back saying are you sure this is right?

What I had failed to notice - and had never seen before - was that it wasn't asking for my PIN, but did i want to leave a tip?!?

I looked at it and there was my PIN displayed as £99.99 (not really my PIN).
So not only did I nearly double the cost of my meal, but any unscrupulous staff could then steal my PIN and card number in one go.
In the end I left a cash tip as I normally would.

I've never heard of this before, is it normal?
It does seem like an easy way to get hold of peoples cash and bank details in one easy step.
I also had to take both receipts with me as the cancelled one was still displaying my PIN as the tip.

Maybe its just us Westcountry bumpkins that are not used to the technology:D

maninthestreet

Yes, some restuarants/pubs give the option of adding a tip when paying by chip+pin card.

Clara2141

As others have said is quite common - I think TGIs have it...make sure you read what is on the terminal before you type the pin in.

Poppy9

What if you are partially sighted though? Shouldn't they have a duty to tell you that it doesn't just ask for your PIN number?

Kernow_Kid

This is exactly the case, I wear glasses, and it is a pain to keep putting them on/taking them off, so I've got used to typing my PIN as a matter of habit.
Normally I look at what I'm doing, but this is the first time I've seen this tip on a chip and pin handset.
I've been using them without any problem since they were launched a couple of years back, but I am concerned that some people could make use of this to steal money.
Also, isn't it a bit strange that your tip would be paid into the company's bank account where they would pay tax on it, and how much of the tip (which is usually given as a reward for good service), will find its way to the pockets of the waiters?

pinkshoes

I'm a tech geek and I HATE these machines. I feel I'm having to double check whether it's asking for a tip or my pin number, although it does clearly say tip...

My problem is that I don't want to leave an e-tip, and it's then quite obvious that I've pressed the "clear" button to skip! If I've had a good service, I like to leave CASH. If the waiter/waitress has been miserable/useless, I enjoy leaving an empty tip plate

Debt_Free_Chick

Yes, watch out for this "add a tip" feature to the PIN machine - it's actually quite common.

Hopefully, this thread will prove to be a useful warning to those who've not encountered this before.

BlueAngelCV

At least they ask instead of just adding it on regardless like some places.