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submitted 3 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Lawmakers want to crack down on “junk fees,” but restaurants are trying to stay out of the fight.

Surcharges or fees covering everything from credit card processing to gratuities to “inflation” have become more popular on restaurant checks in recent years.

Last year, 15% of restaurant owners added surcharges or fees to checks because of higher costs, according to the National Restaurant Association. In the second quarter, 3.7% of restaurant transactions processed by Square included a service fee, more than double the beginning of 2022, according to a recent report from the company.

Opponents of the practice say those fees and surcharges may surprise customers, hoodwinking them into paying more for their meals at a time when their wallets are already feeling thin. Fed-up diners compiled spreadsheets via Reddit of restaurants in Los AngelesChicago and D.C. charging hidden fees. Even the Onion took a swing at the practice, publishing a satirical story in May with the headline “Restaurant Check Includes 3% Surcharge To Provide Owner’s Sugar Baby With Birkin.”

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[-] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Add a service fee or an inflation fee if you'd like. I'll circle it and leave a big fat 0 for the tip. Without it, I'll leave 20% minimum. Problem solved.

[-] westyvw@lemm.ee 24 points 3 months ago

I am tired of prices going up AND tips going up. It already was a percentage of a total, and now it's a higher percentage of a higher total?

I remember 10 percent tip. Was sort of annoyed at 15. At 20 percent with five times the bill it's gotten way out of hand.

And now my area is trying to normalize 25 percent, with 30 being "good service".

I am about to say fuck it and go back to 15. It's either that or never eating out again.

[-] FirstCircle@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 months ago

A "quick haircut" sort of place (kind of a barber, sort of , but super-high-volume and just one worker, the owner) that I've been using for a while now has a super-annoying dark-pattern in their payment flow. They book appointments, and take in-person payments using Square. After your cut, when you're paying via their hand-held kiosk with a card, the screen shows you a bunch of huge "tip amount" buttons, and it's implied that the customer has to choose one of them, while the provider looks on, in order to finish the transaction and leave (probably not true - they've already got your CC info by that point). Guess which button is highlighted/pre-selected and front-and-center! That's right, 20%. If you want to select another tip, or no tip, you have to select another button while she watches you do so. The owner lists all prices on her square website, and it's those prices you think you'll be paying when you book an appointment online, but she still feels the need to be tipped. You KNOW that the provider/barber has configured Square to present that UI to the customer. Not quite the same as the restaurant fees scam, but it's actually more manipulative though, in my view.

[-] binarybomb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 months ago

Bring exact change in cash and be on your merry way

[-] Threeme2189@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 months ago

Why were you down voted? I like the idea, and why do I need to tip a fuckin barber? He's doing his job down to the letter and is being payed for it.

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this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2024
330 points (99.4% liked)

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