# Restaurant bill question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-bill-question/611057 "2012-01-29T04:19:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-bill-question/611057/1 "2012-01-29T04:19:55Z")
So lets say you were out to dinner and maybe had a few cocktails. So when the bill comes you pay with your credit card. You properly compute your 20% tip and write it on the line. The you screw up and add wrong and put the wrong amount on the total line. Is there a rule as to how that is handled when it is computed? What if there is a typo and the total written is less than what the bill is? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-bill-question/611057/2 "2012-01-29T04:45:51Z")
As a server, I can only tell you that I almost always go by the amount that is written on the “tip” line. The only times I go by the amount on the “total” line and then subtract the bill is when it’s clear that the customer was “rounding up” to a certain amount. A couple examples: A customer has a bill of $24.76. They write “$5” on the tip line, and they write “$30.76” on the total…to me, it’s obvious they meant to tip $5, so that’s what I put into the computer. If, however, they wrote “6.24” for the tip, and then wrote in “$30” for the total, it’s clear to me they meant to tip only “$5.24” AFAIK, there’s no law that says which one takes preference over the other…at least, I’ve never been told that I always have to go with one over the other. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-bill-question/611057/3 "2012-01-29T05:27:42Z")
IIRC the only thing that matters is the bottom line. When you sign the merchant copy and they process the paper, they type a numer in to complete the transaction. If the server wants to be difficult or dishonest, they can enter anything. If the customer disagrees the merchant must back it up with paper and signature. If its an automated device - many restaurants use portable units now that also do debit - the obvious answer is “whatever was on the final total” I suppose like the previous answer it’s a matter of discretion, up to the credit card company what number is used if the math is in error. ultimately the bottom number is what the customer agreed to. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Colossus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.colossus/32/9423_2.png) [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-bill-question/611057/4 "2012-01-29T05:44:38Z")
when i was a waiter we had to go with whatever suited the customer. which sucked. if they had $20 bill, put $8 in the tip line but only put $24 on the total, i had to take a $4 tip. if they had a $20 bill, put $1 in the tip line but put $30 as the total, i still only got the $1. of course i also saw a lot of waiters who’d get angry at the stiffed tip or low tip and add whatever they wanted. especially if the customer left both copies–which is very common. i think when it comes down to it, if a customer contests anything for any reason, most merchants will issue a refund. it’s simply not good business to fight it. i have heard of someone leaving the tip line blank–presumably to avoid doing the math–then put what they wanted the total to be. it ended up being a generous tip, one the customer called the next monday and contested. the manager issued the refund and collected the money back from the waiter. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-bill-question/611057/5 "2012-01-29T05:58:35Z")
I always fill in the total, which I’ll round up, and leave it to the restaurant to figure out the tip. They may have a POS system that does the math for them, or they may have to work it out themselves. As noted above, restaurants don’t have the patience to mess around with the details, and will willingly refund any overcharge on a tip. It’s the waiter’s money anyway, not the restaurant’s.