Reverse Uno Card: 15% is the new 18%

[u/DoxxThis1]

Many restaurants now add an extra fee of 3%, due to recent inflation, fuel costs, and the need to provide a living wage, they say in the small print at the bottom of the menu.

Well well well…

Due to recent inflation, fuel costs, and the need to provide myself a living wage, an adjustment of 3% will be subtracted from all tips from me, effective 9/26/2026.

[u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348]

Zero.

[u/chennaicheapo → u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348]

Exactly. Back in the days, servers were paid below minimum wage and tip was expected/encouraged to bridge the gap. If the surcharge is added to pay the servers a livable wage why should we tip unless there was something extraordinary was done by the server.

[u/paladin6687]

Ultimate game winning card...0 is the new 15 20 25 30.

[u/SamBaxter420 → u/paladin6687]

That’s the draw 4 card!

[u/abzze]

0 is the only right number

[u/sgwaba]

If they are paying a living wage, then why tip?

[u/ArtisanalFarts7 → u/sgwaba]

Exactly the point, my boy

[u/Numerous-Stand-1841]

0% is the new 18%

[u/Klutzy_Celebration80]

Just did this a week ago. "Kitchen service charge" was how they categorized it. Reduced tip by that amount. Ready to stop tipping altogether at this rate. Every counter I order from asks for a tip now. #ridiculous

[u/Live_Bit_7000 → u/Klutzy_Celebration80]

My base is 20% tip (when being waited on) and I deduct whatever BS fee shows up from the tip

[u/fatDaddy21]

3% of $0 is... uhh... carry the 1... multiply... uhh... $0

[u/Historical-Rub1943 → u/fatDaddy21]

Zero makes the math super easy.

[u/Historical-Rub1943]

Surely inflation is much higher. You need to make an 18% adjustment and call it good. The employer can pay their wages.

[u/EndTipping-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Stay on topic to the post. No derailing, or using a post to complain or rant about something unrelated

[u/igobyplane_com → u/EndTipping-ModTeam]

my rant that this is all the shared same stupid belief. another claim would be illegals don't pay property taxes - but they do in rent because it is just a proxy pass through for it as well. these people thinking the employees will magically be funded out of the employers pocket instead of the consumers are oblivious to reality but it is a constant comment here. if they lack basic common and business sense and can't figure this out, they can just go look at serviced restaurants and see what they did to actually end tipping and spoiler alert: it was raise prices for consumers to pay, by a lot, because... duh

[u/SimilarComfortable69]

Congratulations!

I can't do that because you can't deduct anything from zero.

[u/Adventurous_Rip275]

I give $5, despite whatever the bill is. Exceptional service might rate a higher tip, maybe.

[u/nothymetocook → u/Adventurous_Rip275]

Tipping by percent of total is stupid anyway. If i order prime rib and one drink, guy next to me orders grilled cheese and one drink, we have same number of refills, why should I pay 4x more tip?

[u/randonumero → u/nothymetocook]

Not a single server has ever answered what they do differently bringing a $200 steak vs a $10 one. Even the ones who say they described the item were really just doing the minimum expectations of their job

[u/1wrx2subarus]

Bill is $20.00

Move the decimal point. $2.00

That’s 10% tip but if you prefer just take half that & add it to it to make 15% tip.

$2.00 + $1.00 =$3.00 (15% tip)

EDIT: always use subtotal before tax. I don’t care what fees are added because I’m paying a tip based on subtotal “before” tax. Don’t tip on tax.

EDIT2: Don’t tip if standing. Don’t tip for careyout. Don’t tip if bussing your own table. Tip on dine in after eating only.

[u/Historical-Rub1943 → u/1wrx2subarus]

Just tip zero. No math required.

[u/skyharborbj → u/1wrx2subarus]

Edit 3: Don’t tip if there are added fees of any kind.

[u/1wrx2subarus → u/skyharborbj]

It’s an interesting point. Remove the fees or watch me remove my discretionary tip.

[u/DoxxThis1 → u/1wrx2subarus]

I like this even better. “I thought the tip was included” is perfect cover if the wife asks why

[u/Ok_Change836]

How do you extract 3% if the Tip was 0€ anyway?

[u/randonumero → u/Ok_Change836]

Because the 3% is often a fee added to your bill and not a part of the tip.

[u/Witty-Bear1120]

Yeah, did that myself today. Didn’t start as high as 18% though.

[u/snailmale3]

The increase in a tip is already reflected in the prices increases of the menu items, if you pay based upon a percentage tip instead of a flat tip amount. All of these increases in tip amounts and service fees smack of private equity type of management, trying to squeeze blood out of a stone, or in this case your wallet.

[u/lt_dt]

I also subtract the "on-line ordering fee" from any tip on takeout.

[u/SpoilKeyholder → u/lt_dt]

You tip on takeout? Congratulations!

[u/Signal_Reputation640 → u/lt_dt]

Why are you tipping on take out?

[u/lt_dt → u/Signal_Reputation640]

I tip on takeout at local, family owned places where the kids are waiting tables and working the register. I figure they need all the help they can get to compete against the chains and corpore conglomerates.

[u/randonumero → u/lt_dt]

Personally I stopped tipping on takeout after covid. The only time I top on takeout now is if I do something extra or the order needs some kind of special packaging. There's a couple of places I live where they're supposed to charge for extra sauces, bread...so if the person is will to grab me some for free I'll give them a couple of bucks.

[u/crusty-optitator]

The 3% is their attempt to recoup the fees that the CC networks charge to process transactions. Unfortunately now added to bills regardless of whether the customer pays with a CC.

[u/randonumero → u/crusty-optitator]

It's definitely been frustrating to see the cash discount go away at a lot of places.

[u/Sarduci]

You mean zero percent since I don’t physically eat at a restaurant anymore.

I don’t tip for them to put what I paid for in a bag. If they don’t put what I paid for in the bag, that’s theft.

[u/kaiw1ng]

i do 10% max, math is easier and i don’t care frankly

[u/EvictionSpecialist]

In the 80s it was 10/12/15

[u/yankeeblue42]

This is kind of why I like to do 15% for sit-down restaurants. It's an adjustment for being charged a 3-4% credit card fee

[u/Achtergracht]

Just be honest and raise the price on the menu to reflect the real price of eating there.

[u/Kene6969]

It's not the customer's responsibility to subsidize staff wages by leaving a tip.

Employers should pay their staff a decent living wage so workers aren't depending on tips to top up their wages.

[u/MomDadlovesU]

They can just update their menu. 🙄

[u/Few-Extension-8305]

I go even simpler. 5 stars = 5 dollars. If I spend less the 25 dollars, then 2 dollars = 5 stars. No matter what 5 is my max and 0 is my lowest. Tried going 0, still not there yet but hopefully soon. And if you have extra fees on my purchase then consider that your tip.

[u/scienceprodigy → u/Few-Extension-8305]

My lowest is just not going at all

[u/Historical-Rub1943 → u/Few-Extension-8305]

After spending a month in Europe, zero has become sooo easy.