# On tipping and credit/debit cards **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385 "2010-04-26T10:31:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/21 "2010-04-27T21:50:08Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > It seems I remember wrong. It was the first in Nevada, not the USA: [Linky](http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/02/restaurant-serves-pay--table-technology/) > > Still, October 2009? With sooooo many restaurants in Nevada? While here in “third world” Mexico they were already all over the place. Don’t those things require chip and pin to be truly secure, anyway? Something american banks still haven’t caught up with? pdts ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/22 "2010-04-27T21:56:28Z")
They have portable card readers at Apple stores. All of the salespeople have them attached to their belts, so you can purchase your item directly from them on the salesfloor. No waiting in line necessary. They will also email the receipt to you, so it’s paperless, too. It’s really pretty awesome, but it’s the only place I’ve ever seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/23 "2010-04-27T22:07:34Z")
> [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](#): > > Don’t those things require chip and pin to be truly secure, anyway? Something american banks still haven’t caught up with? You can swipe with them as well (for US credit cards). The terminal in the linked article looked very familiar, then I saw it was made by a Toronto-based company… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/24 "2010-04-27T22:11:50Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > They have portable card readers at Apple stores. All of the salespeople have them attached to their belts, so you can purchase your item directly from them on the salesfloor. No waiting in line necessary. They will also email the receipt to you, so it’s paperless, too. > > It’s really pretty awesome, but it’s the only place I’ve ever seen it. Ironically, the terminals are Fujitsu industrial jobbies that use Windows. Apple is working on an [iPod-based system](http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=813894) to replace it. ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/25 "2010-04-27T22:22:35Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > You can swipe with them as well (for US credit cards). > > The terminal in the linked article looked very familiar, then I saw it was made by a Toronto-based company… 🙂 Oh I know you can swipe them, but isn’t that really insecure? pdts ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/26 "2010-04-28T00:14:13Z")
> [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](#): > > Oh I know you can swipe them, but isn’t that really insecure? If the radio link or batch data transfer on the portable terminal is unencrypted, maybe, but otherwise no. The portable terminal has the advantage that your card never leaves your sight, and thus the server can’t, say, skim your numbers by running your card through a second reader under the counter. ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/27 "2010-04-28T01:08:59Z")
> [@](#): > > and you never lose sight of your card. Why is that an advantage? Do you not have fraud protection laws for credit cards in Canada? ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/28 "2010-04-28T01:16:22Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Ironically, the terminals are Fujitsu industrial jobbies that use Windows. Apple is working on an [iPod-based system](http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=813894) to replace it. They actually deployed that a few months ago (at least at my local Apple store). ---
**Author:** ![put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/put_down_the_sabre)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/29 "2010-04-28T03:35:24Z")
> [@Flymaster](#): > > Why is that an advantage? Do you not have fraud protection laws for credit cards in Canada? Do you not have car theft protection and insurance in America? So why worry about your car getting stolen? pdts ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/30 "2010-04-28T04:00:02Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > They have portable card readers at Apple stores. All of the salespeople have them attached to their belts, so you can purchase your item directly from them on the salesfloor. No waiting in line necessary. They will also email the receipt to you, so it’s paperless, too. > > It’s really pretty awesome, but it’s the only place I’ve ever seen it. Car rental places have them too. They swipe your card in the car return lane. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/31 "2010-04-28T15:17:05Z")
> [@Flymaster](#): > > Why is that an advantage? Do you not have fraud protection laws for credit cards in Canada? Still a pain in the butt. I had my card skimmed in December. Although I wasn’t liable for anything, it still sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/32 "2010-04-28T22:03:57Z")
> [@put\_down\_the\_sabre](#): > > Do you not have car theft protection and insurance in America? So why worry about your car getting stolen? > > pdts Well, to be honest, I don’t. But if I knew I’d lose absolutely nothing and no damage would happen…I’d worry even less. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/33 "2010-04-29T13:54:05Z")
there si a section on the paper copy you sign as to how much of a tip you want to leave if any. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/34 "2010-04-30T20:25:39Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I’ve never seen one of these used in the United States. I remember reading an article about 6 months ago or so that was bragging (absolutely bragging!) about the fact that one was going to be deployed for the first time in an American restaurant (I think, in Las Vegas). In the meantime, I was already used to them from working in Ontario, which was the first place I’d seen them, back in 2006 or '07. They were great: they bring the machine at the table, hit one of the buttons for a quick, exact percentage tip (or an option to type your own, discrete amount), get you’re receipt, and you never lose sight of your card. There were only a few places that we went to that had them, though. > > Here in the Mexico City area (but not Mexico in general), these machines are in wide-spread use at restaurants and gas stations (no tip option as the gas station, though, and also all gas stations are full service with no self-serve option). No worrying about someone skimming your card, and it’s faster and more convenient. I hope they’ve caught on in Michigan by time I get back there. The Meijer I go to here in Michigan uses them for their grocery express service. They bring my pre-ordered groceries out to my car along with the machine. It’s great. I don’t know why more places haven’t adopted them. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/35 "2010-05-01T13:17:30Z")
> [@Velma](#): > > The Meijer I go to here in Michigan uses them for their grocery express service. They bring my pre-ordered groceries out to my car along with the machine. It’s great. I don’t know why more places haven’t adopted them. Meijer does that now? I can’t wait to get home! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/36 "2010-05-01T13:32:35Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > I had a bartender friend who used to tell his customers he preferred cash tips on credit card bills. He said that his bar only required him to declare a percentage of his sales. Credit card tips on the slip had to be declared, but not cash. > > Seems like this was a bit dishonest, and potentially taking money out of his own pocket. I would probably be more generous with a tip if I could just write a number rather than fish into my wallet to find an appropriate bill. Or worse, asking him to break a larger bill and appear stingy with the tip. So if you tip by card you are “taking money out of his pocket” because he has to be honest about how much you gave him? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385/37 "2010-05-01T19:22:27Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Meijer does that now? I can’t wait to get home! Only a few right now - the one by me (in Grand Rapids) was the first to launch it and they are still working out a few kinks. But they have been adding others so hopefully it will keep expanding. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-tipping-and-credit-debit-cards/537385.md?page=1)