$Gift Certificate Etiquette$

Gift Certificate Etiquette

We all appreciate receiving gift certificates from friends and family as a thank you, or as gift and we all can't wait to go out and use this free money at our favorite restaurant. However, there are some etiquette rules to dining out and using these gift cards.

Please note that these gift cards are not coupons and they are not to be considered a discount card off of the total bill amount. It is important for those who do not know, that gift cards have a dollar value on them and act like "cash". What I mean by this is that the gift card is actually to be considered paper cash in your hand when it comes time to pay for the bill.

As many people have used these cards before, your server must swipe these cards at the time of payment to ensure that they are activated or have any balance value on them. I have experienced on occasion, people who think that because they have a gift card they can place it on the table and walk out without checking with their server. This resulting in a dine-and-dash and in many cases I have witnessed the customer being short on their bill, which results in leaving their server to cover the rest of the bill, and paying out of pocket for the tip-out.

Therefore, here are a few steps in gift card etiquette to keep in mind when dining out:

First, understand that when you are heading to the restaurant to have a back up plan just in case you spend more than planned or there is an error with your card. So either keep some back up cash or bring another source of payment like debit or credit. 

Second, let your server know that you have a gift card. This will save time at the end when it comes to paying, because your server will know how to address the method of payment efficiently at the end of your visit. 

Third, be sure to look at the total amount presented on the bill. This will help you understand how much to leave in gratuity for all of your server's efforts.One factor that really offends a server is that they put a full effort to ensure you receive a good experience and the number of items on the bill will show this, and the customer/guest does not acknowledge those efforts when it comes to taking care of their server. Remember just because you have a gift card, it does not mean that a customer can rip off their server. The card does not state "freebee" on it. The card represents another form of "cash" payment.

Lastly, if you pay for the balance of the bill with a gift card and there is a remaining balance still owing, please do not tip on that remaining balance. For example, the bill is $230 and your gift card is for $100, remember not leave a percentage tip on the $130 owing. The entire bill and server efforts were for a $230 bill and that server should receive the reward they earned for that amount.

I have witness this happen too many times, from those who just do not understand this process. If that server gets a small 10% tip on the $130 balance remaining, they still give away a full percentage amount of that bill to their tip-out.

Cheers!