pcamerica contact sitemap pcamerica pcamerica blog home
point of sale system












Categories

Archive

Electronic tipping technology helps workers cash in

Paying with credit and debit cards or via mobile wallet is great for the consumer: pick the product, swipe and they’re on their way. No fumbling for change necessary, no impatient customers waiting behind them while they count out the right amount.

However, there is a downside to the swipe and go. A decline in cash transactions means less tips for your employees. The person who may have tossed their change into the tip jar previously can just swipe their card or pay with their phone and leave, causing a decline in tips for people used to dealing with cash like cab drivers, quick-casual restaurant employees and coffee shop workers.

Tips can mean an extra $10-$20 a shift, so the loss of that income can sting. But, there are some new options for patrons who prefer to pay via credit or debit and leave a tip.

Several high-tech tip jars are now being tested in pilot locations. One option, DipJar, allows customers to “dip” their credit cards into a machine to leave a pre-set tip. DipJar does not generate receipts, but a chime tells the patron their tip was accepted. The tips are divided up later and right now, and are not subject to a processing fee.

Ziptip is another company experimenting with electronic tipping. The Ziptip smartphone application gives customers the ability to scan a QR code associated with an employee and leave a little something via PayPal. The gratuity goes into the recipient’s PayPal account for immediate use. Ziptip is already being used in 20 countries.