Practices · Observable
Tip added without the customer choosing it
A gratuity appeared on the receipt or card statement that the customer did not select.
Compare the receipt total to the card statement. This record notes what reporters say appeared.
Spot it on your receipt
- Keep the itemized receipt and compare it to the card statement.
- Note whether the app or terminal had an automatic-tip setting.
On the record
Locations with a published claim that fits
Ordered by the number of independent reports behind the claim, keeping only claims where at least one linked report describes this practice.
No published record fits this practice yet.
Law
The federal baseline
No federal law requires or forbids a tip prompt at checkout. If money collected as a "tip" is retained by the business rather than paid to workers, the federal tip-ownership rule and federal and state deceptive-practice laws may apply.
Source: FTC Act §5; FTC v. Amazon (Amazon Flex), 2021 · Verified 2026-09