Ok then why do waiters always make it SO FUCKING HARD TO LEAVE?! Most of the time, I wind up waiting for the check to show up, often I have to flag someone down to get it.
And then, the most ridiculous part of the whole ritual; they drop off the check and then leave! Imagine if that happened anywhere else. Go through the grocery aisle, get all your stuff scanned, and then the person working the checkout just walks away for 5+ minutes.
And then, when they finally show up and take the check with your card, they leave for another 5+ minutes. What is taking so long?! It is 2026, how do you not have a functional POS system??
Places that let you pay with your phone and leave when you’re ready are the best. Even ones that have the waiter come to the table with a pad you can pay on are good. I just hate the black booklets, such a horrible, inefficient way to pay.
In the US we have a wide variety of ways to pay. Some have the waiter process it, which can be slow as dirt. Some have a little electronic thing at the table you can pay and go, like Red Robin. Some you walk up to a counter and pay when you want, like at a couple of local Mexican restaurants. Some you pay when you arrive and order, like Jason’s Deli.
These are all in a city of about 125,000 people in a central US state and within a three mile stretch of road.
To add to this, I gave my card in one of those black books and paid as normal. We don’t go out to eat much, or use this card much. But a couple days later someone had that credit card number and was making purchases. Of course it COULD have been some other usage weeks earlier, but the timing makes it suspicious. I believe there was either a skimmer placed on the restaurant’s machine, or someone in the back was just stealing credit card info.
It’s now much preferred by me if they either let me go pay at the front, or bring one of those scanners to the table like in Europe.
I’ve always found this very weird in the US. In Europe they come to the table, we tap the scanner and if it’s over a certain threshold, you need to enter your PIN. Most larger transactions require your PIN these days.
If I’m forced to swip, I have card with a low limit I keep just for these places with phone alerts for any transaction. Starting do that after being hit with this while travelling, annoying as hell even though it only cost me my time.
Because in most countries you don’t need a phone, internet, and maybe even an app to solve this problem.
A lot of countries have had chip cards decades before the USA. When you are done eating they bring the bill and a terminal, which looks a thick cell phone, to your table. You insert your card, type your pin, pay, and leave. Bonus: you never get your credit card taken elsewhere by a stranger.
If you live in a country which sadly still do not pay serving staff a living wage, the terminal also allows you to enter gratuity as an amount or as a percentage, while you pay. No need to do any math.
The phone payment seems like such a tech-bro solution for a very simple problem which has a very simple solution which is already in place nearly everywhere!
In my experience, if you get up and walk to the reception counter and tell them you’d like to settle your check, they’ll let you. I’ve never once been told “you need to go back and wait,” because at that point it’s false imprisonment. They can’t keep you. Pay at the counter and leave no tip. Just, don’t return (at least, for a while, let them forget about you).
If it’s a restaurant in your neighbourhood, obviously give them a bit more time because you’re going to want to go back. If you’re traveling, or if you never want to eat there again, by all means, stiff them on the tip if you feel it’s warranted. You have no stake in it.
I love pay by QR code (the way I see it done, after you get your meal they’ll ask if there’ll be anything else, you say no, they bring your receipt while you’re still eating, you just scan it, pay on your phone, and go. Now what I don’t get is, how do they know you paid? Is it on the honour system? I imagine the restaurant knows, but the wait staff working the floor? They see you get up and leave, do they run and check to see that table has paid? Or no?
Ok then why do waiters always make it SO FUCKING HARD TO LEAVE?! Most of the time, I wind up waiting for the check to show up, often I have to flag someone down to get it.
And then, the most ridiculous part of the whole ritual; they drop off the check and then leave! Imagine if that happened anywhere else. Go through the grocery aisle, get all your stuff scanned, and then the person working the checkout just walks away for 5+ minutes.
And then, when they finally show up and take the check with your card, they leave for another 5+ minutes. What is taking so long?! It is 2026, how do you not have a functional POS system??
Places that let you pay with your phone and leave when you’re ready are the best. Even ones that have the waiter come to the table with a pad you can pay on are good. I just hate the black booklets, such a horrible, inefficient way to pay.
I like NZ.
When you’re done, you get up, walk to the counter, pay, and leave.
Card never leaves your sight. No timing issues. No tipping.
I know right? They even get paid a ‘proper’ wage regardless of how busy the restaurant is.
In the US we have a wide variety of ways to pay. Some have the waiter process it, which can be slow as dirt. Some have a little electronic thing at the table you can pay and go, like Red Robin. Some you walk up to a counter and pay when you want, like at a couple of local Mexican restaurants. Some you pay when you arrive and order, like Jason’s Deli.
These are all in a city of about 125,000 people in a central US state and within a three mile stretch of road.
In Brazil they bring the POS to your table. You pay with your card and leave. I like this here too
Italy as well, and i assume many other places in the world outside of north america
To add to this, I gave my card in one of those black books and paid as normal. We don’t go out to eat much, or use this card much. But a couple days later someone had that credit card number and was making purchases. Of course it COULD have been some other usage weeks earlier, but the timing makes it suspicious. I believe there was either a skimmer placed on the restaurant’s machine, or someone in the back was just stealing credit card info.
It’s now much preferred by me if they either let me go pay at the front, or bring one of those scanners to the table like in Europe.
I’ve always found this very weird in the US. In Europe they come to the table, we tap the scanner and if it’s over a certain threshold, you need to enter your PIN. Most larger transactions require your PIN these days.
This why most everything is tap to pay now.
If I’m forced to swip, I have card with a low limit I keep just for these places with phone alerts for any transaction. Starting do that after being hit with this while travelling, annoying as hell even though it only cost me my time.
I’ve always paid with card and it’s never been an issue. Black book and all.
I’m not saying it’s impossible, just really bad luck
I just bring cash every time I go out to a restaurant. Skips a lot of that bullshit.
I don’t understand people’s disdain for the pay through your phone model. It’s so nice
Because in most countries you don’t need a phone, internet, and maybe even an app to solve this problem.
A lot of countries have had chip cards decades before the USA. When you are done eating they bring the bill and a terminal, which looks a thick cell phone, to your table. You insert your card, type your pin, pay, and leave. Bonus: you never get your credit card taken elsewhere by a stranger.
If you live in a country which sadly still do not pay serving staff a living wage, the terminal also allows you to enter gratuity as an amount or as a percentage, while you pay. No need to do any math.
The phone payment seems like such a tech-bro solution for a very simple problem which has a very simple solution which is already in place nearly everywhere!
It’s not the use of phone as much as the ability to dine at your own pace.
Server arrives, but you’ve been chatting and catching up, so you’re not ready to order. Then you get ready and server is nowhere to be seen.
Ready for another drink, sit on empty a little too long looking around to flag him down.
Ready to leave but have to sit and wait for the server to bring the terminal.
Instead, scan the QR to order, add items whenever, pay whenever you want to leave
I just don’t like yet another closed-source proprietary app on my phone that I need to interact with society.
In my experience, this is all done through the browser
In my experience, if you get up and walk to the reception counter and tell them you’d like to settle your check, they’ll let you. I’ve never once been told “you need to go back and wait,” because at that point it’s false imprisonment. They can’t keep you. Pay at the counter and leave no tip. Just, don’t return (at least, for a while, let them forget about you).
If it’s a restaurant in your neighbourhood, obviously give them a bit more time because you’re going to want to go back. If you’re traveling, or if you never want to eat there again, by all means, stiff them on the tip if you feel it’s warranted. You have no stake in it.
I love pay by QR code (the way I see it done, after you get your meal they’ll ask if there’ll be anything else, you say no, they bring your receipt while you’re still eating, you just scan it, pay on your phone, and go. Now what I don’t get is, how do they know you paid? Is it on the honour system? I imagine the restaurant knows, but the wait staff working the floor? They see you get up and leave, do they run and check to see that table has paid? Or no?