Often times they bring my card back after charging it, and I write the tip amount on the vendors receipt. Is the tab still open and they just go in and add it? Is it a separate charge? Do they keep the card on file then?
Sorry if that’s beyond dumb… just had some bomb Chuys margaritas and feeling philosophical
Comments
They ran a placeholder charge. They can finalize it later.
When the waiter takes your card the first time, they’re just doing a pre-authorization showing the card is active and can pay the initial balance. Afterwards, they go back and fill in the final amount, which is billed to your card.
Gas pumps do the same thing – they authorize your card, you pump, and the final amount is billed to you.
it’s just adding into a charge before the business sends the final transaction for processing.
There’s a button in the computer to add a tip.
Typically, it will pend your card for 20% above the amount of your bill, to make sure there is room in your account to charge the tip.
This is why some pre-paid credit cards don’t work right in restaurants.
They add the tips at the end of the night and then finalize all charges from the day. Or at least that’s how it worked at all the pizza places i worked at.
You are living in the U.S. and Chuy’s is awesome but the pay transaction methods in the U.S. are about 10 to 20 years behind the rest of the world. If you lived elsewhere this would not be a question.
Depending upon the state you are in that could be considered fraud if they gave you a final receipt and added charges later. If you have a receipt that was given to you and charges were added later I would call your credit card company fraud department and see if that is considered fraud in your area. If nothing else they will refund the overcharge.
I know of several people from our area businesses that are doing hard time for credit fraud and racketeering for just what you are describing.
The funniest local case was an Italian restaurant, think Tony Saprano, where everyone knew he was laundering his illegal money through the restaurant. The restaurant was totally above board and legitimate. The guy even paid overtime without a hassle, if the bill was paid on a credit card as most were, he didn’t deduct the fees from the servers tip. All his employees loved him and he never had a problem finding employees.
The restaurant gets busted on credit card fraud. One of his idiot servers was adding charges to credit card bill after the fact. Feds jumped all over this because it gave them an in to his business. He was eventually exonerated on the credit card fraud. Every employee, except the guilty one, testified at the trial that if he caught someone doing that they would be fired immediately and the customer’s evening at the restaurant would have been comped.
Unfortunately the Feds were able to make several other charges stick. All of course were much more serious than the credit card fraud. Restaurant under his ownership was great, he has to sell it. I think it lasted less than a year with the new owners. He lived in our neighborhood, very nice neighbor, his wife and kids were super people too. Had to sell his house under racketeering charges. Asshole that bought it bought it is a Realtor that rents it out for parties. Several of us have discussed visiting our old neighbor in the pen and asking for the number of a hitman.
All the older ladies at my work love telling stories about when they had to call the credit card companies to see if there was a balance, to add the charges, and to add the tip to the cards.