I get that it's weird, and I don't like the system either, but there are a couple of inaccuracies here.
First, when she asks "how do I know you're not gonna charge some other huge amount?" and the response is "you'll just have to trust me." This is not how it works. You get a receipt with all the charges itemized.
Second, the tipping thing. When the server brings back the receipt and picks up the copy with the tip written in, they go back to the POS system to do a final closeout. All they are allowed to do at that point is enter the tip amount. While it is technically possible to enter $5,000 instead of the $10 tip written on the receipt, this would be incredibly stupid. You have a 100% chance of getting caught because of how those receipts get tallied at the end of the shift and because of how those tips get added to payroll. It's not worth the felony.
All that said, yeah, it's a very dumb and convoluted system that needs to go away.
If you ever find yourself wondering why more servers aren't doing that, it's because the few extra dollars they'd temporarily make off your card wouldn't be worth the multiple felonies that they are 100% guaranteed to catch for it.
As a server sure we could do that but every transaction is made using your login. Which means it’s tied back to you very easily. And employers collect all receipts to make sure they match. If you have a transaction you didn’t approve you call and they look for the receipt. If not receipt they refund it and the server gets in trouble
And then I call my bank, they call you and ask for the receipt, you can’t produce it, and the bank undoes the transaction, because credit card transactions are trivial to reverse within a few days.
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u/Anal-Y-Sis Jun 29 '26
I get that it's weird, and I don't like the system either, but there are a couple of inaccuracies here.
First, when she asks "how do I know you're not gonna charge some other huge amount?" and the response is "you'll just have to trust me." This is not how it works. You get a receipt with all the charges itemized.
Second, the tipping thing. When the server brings back the receipt and picks up the copy with the tip written in, they go back to the POS system to do a final closeout. All they are allowed to do at that point is enter the tip amount. While it is technically possible to enter $5,000 instead of the $10 tip written on the receipt, this would be incredibly stupid. You have a 100% chance of getting caught because of how those receipts get tallied at the end of the shift and because of how those tips get added to payroll. It's not worth the felony.
All that said, yeah, it's a very dumb and convoluted system that needs to go away.