Two days ago, I went to a bar for a happy hour and ran a tab with my debit card, for $7.22. I left a $3 tip, for a total of $10.22.
Today I checked my online statement, and the bar had charged me only $7.22. Furthermore, they’d charged me once for $6.22, and then once for $1.
I can’t remember the details, but this has happened to me before–a few weeks ago, at a different bar. Same thing–left a fair tip, but only the price of the meal was charged.
Are my servers getting stiffed? Why would the restaurant/bar do that? I feel bad, and embarrassed about going back to that bar.
I googled on this subject, and saw that other people have experienced this, but the only responses were along the lines of “people who tip on credit cards are jerks!!” But I only pay with a debit card if I don’t have any cash, so surely a debit card tip is better than nothing? When I worked at a pizza place as a driver, we got our card tips every night at the end of our shifts (I think–might be remembering wrong). It didn’t make any difference to me.
So what’s the deal? I was going to post this in General Questions but I’m also wondering what I should do about it–should I go back to that bar (far out of my way) and give the bar a tip (but I have no idea who my server was)? *Is *it a douchebag move to leave a debit card tip? And furthermore, what might have happened to my tip?