Card overthrows cash as king

[Paphos Life]

Sheltering-in-place during the Covid-19 lockdown has led to a surge in digital payments, partly for convenience and partly out of fears - warranted or not - of handling physical cash. The drive to go cashless appears to have got a new lease on life....

Read the article and chat about it below...

[Dominic]

Now all we need to do is get businesses to stop using cheque books!

[Devil]

Now all we need to do is get businesses to stop using cheque books!

or telex or telegram

IOW, get into the 21st century, out of the 19th and 20th ones

[trevnhil]

I suppose one snag with card payments especially in restaurants and takeaways, is that if you are not using cash how do you tip the staff ??

[trevnhil]

But I thought we were supposed to be going 'cashless'

[Chaddy]

Now all we need to do is get businesses to stop using cheque books!

Yes,i forget how many times in the years i was in business have I heard it said...….." the cheque is in the post "

[galexinda]

I suppose one snag with card payments especially in restaurants and takeaways, is that if you are not using cash how do you tip the staff ??

Can be done with a card, tip amount is entered separately (but in the one transaction)

Prefer the old-fashioned tip jar on the counter - more transparent.

[Devil]

In this country, restaurants include an obligatory service charge in their menus. I believe this is 15% but don't hold me to it as gospel! You will usually find on the menu in very small letters something like "service charge included". I pay what I am billed and rarely do I add any extra for any special service that the waiter/waitress has given. This is a trend which is coming from central Europe. On the other hand, I agree that an inclusive service charge leaves one in no doubt as to what to pay/tip. Of course, service charges which are added to the bill are not absolutely binding; you can always add or subtract according to the service you have received. The country that gets my goat for tipping is the USA

[WHL]

Same here Galexinda. Hate to incorporate the tip as part of the food bill, for fear that it will end up in the guv'nor's pocket, rather than the people who earned it.

Even when we pay for a meal on a c/c, I will invariably leave a cash tip on the table.

Ditto

[WHL]

In this country, restaurants include an obligatory service charge in their menus. I believe this is 15% but don't hold me to it as gospel! You will usually find on the menu in very small letters something like "service charge included". I pay what I am billed and rarely do I add any extra for any special service that the waiter/waitress has given. This is a trend which is coming from central Europe. On the other hand, I agree that an inclusive service charge leaves one in no doubt as to what to pay/tip. Of course, service charges which are added to the bill are not absolutely binding; you can always add or subtract according to the service you have received. The country that gets my goat for tipping is the USA

Ive yet to go into a restaurant in Cyprus that had added a service charge, and believe me I have ate in hundreds over the years, it might be some law in theory, but in practice ive never ben charged it.

[trevnhil]

It is my understanding that it is not listed as a separate charge that you can see, but is part of the meal price. As mentioned before the wording 'Service Charge Included' is usually on the menu..

[Jimgym]

I always try to leave a cash tip rather than adding to cc, I want to make sure the staff get it and not some greedy owner. Not that I'm saying they are greedy....

[Devil]

As I said before, why leave a tip when you're paying a service charge anyway?

[WHL]

As I said before, why leave a tip when you're paying a service charge anyway?

You only pay a service charge if you get the bill and you see an extra charge added to the bill, I have never seen that here, when I see that in the UK I never leave a tip, as I feel its a bit of a liberty, back here if the the food is good and I get service with a smile , I always leave about 20% in tips, these guys rely on the tips to get a living wage .. as a side note if you ever go to a restaurant in the states, not leaving a tip is taboo, even take away places expect a tip.

[Dominic]

As I said before, why leave a tip when you're paying a service charge anyway?

You only pay a service charge if you get the bill and you see an extra charge added to the bill, I have never seen that here, when I see that in the UK I never leave a tip, as I feel its a bit of a liberty, back here if the the food is good and I get service with a smile , I always leave about 20% in tips, these guys rely on the tips to get a living wage .. as a side note if you ever go to a restaurant in the states, not leaving a tip is taboo, even take away places expect a tip.

That's not true. If the bill says "Service included" it means it is incorporated into the price you see on the menu. Much in the same way that the price of the food is, etc.

[WHL]

As I said before, why leave a tip when you're paying a service charge anyway?

You only pay a service charge if you get the bill and you see an extra charge added to the bill, I have never seen that here, when I see that in the UK I never leave a tip, as I feel its a bit of a liberty, back here if the the food is good and I get service with a smile , I always leave about 20% in tips, these guys rely on the tips to get a living wage .. as a side note if you ever go to a restaurant in the states, not leaving a tip is taboo, even take away places expect a tip.

That's not true. If the bill says "Service included" it means it is incorporated into the price you see on the menu. Much in the same way that the price of the food is, etc.

Thats what I meant, your not being asked to pay extra on your bill, to put it simply I order a kebab 5e, when i get the bill its for 5e not 5e plus 12% extra taking the bill to 5.60e..

[Dominic]

Yes, but the bill includes the service.

[Jim B]

I always tip at least 10%. I've asked staff do they get the tips, some do and some don't. You would be surprised how many restaurant owners pocket the tips or at least pocket a large percentage of them.

Jim

[Lincoln]

When I was over in the states on a business trip with three colleagues. We were on a bed and breakfast in the Hotel. After the third day the manageress came over and said the servers were in tears as we never left a tip at all. I looked at her astounded and said we never tip for a breakfast meal. As they were upset, I then told her that on our last day we would give them a hefty tip. Which we did.

[WHL]

The USA is a different ball game, and don't be suprised if the waiter follows you out of the restaurant and harangues you, if you left without leaving a tip, I once had words with a starbucks employee, you had a moan at me for pocketing my change and not putting it in the tips jar on the counter, I said really all you did was hand me a coffee, which I then had to go over to another counter and put milk and sugar myself, go multiply yourself, I always tip well, but not to spotty kids with aditute problems.