It’s a pretty bad feeling when you want to leave a little extra something for that awesome barista who knows your order by heart; or the ice cream guy who just replaced your kid’s fallen cone for free–and realize you’re out of cash. That’s about to change.
A few retailers are starting to experiment with a gadget called DipJar, which allows you to leave a tip right with your credit or debit card. Pretty clever considering so many of us are paying with our cards anyway, with fewer requirements to sign a receipt where you might write in a tip.
One of these on a counter could be a really nice gesture for low-wage service employees. I would just hope that it could generate enough tips that it makes up for the fact that they’ll now have to declare all that extra cash (if we’re going to be frank about it.) I also hope that it makes it more likely that we all show our appreciation–when it’s warranted–with something besides the $.13 change you got back from your latte. –Liz
If you’re a retailer who wants to be an early tester of the DipJar , visit their website for more info.
