Whether it's a cozy afternoon at the café with coffee and cake, an evening at the favorite restaurant around the corner, or Sunday brunch at the bistro with friends, in the end, there's always one question: Cash or card? In the background, restaurateurs are divided into two camps. Some focus on time savings and reduced error rates through card payments. Others see them as a financial burden and want to stick to cash—especially in the context of tips.
Hospitable – with Cash and Card Payment
In Germany, some restaurateurs still do not offer one thing on the menu: card payment. The main disadvantage from their perspective refers to the additional costs. On one hand, rental fees for card readers often apply. On the other hand, transaction fees arise with every payment. When paying with a debit card, these average less than one percent. However, if the guest uses a credit card, they can double or triple (). Additionally, immediate availability with cash payments seems more tempting for some.
On the other hand, there are restaurateurs who support card payments. They see the seemingly more hygienic card world, a shortened payment process, or potential spontaneous visits for those who don't carry much cash as significant advantages.
Regardless of personal tendencies, in the end, customers typically long for the option. If only one payment method is allowed, it can negatively affect customer satisfaction. According to the 2021 eat.pay.love study by Mastercard and orderbird, over 90 percent of respondents already expected the additional option to pay cashlessly. Therefore, those responsible should find ways to offer both cash and card payments—cost-saving and efficiently.
Open Question Mark
But the next question arises directly: How does tipping work with card payments? Customers have doubts about whether the tip really reaches the employee with card payment. Restaurateurs and staff, on the other hand, fear smaller amounts if the guest does not pay in cash.
The tipping argument against the introduction of card payment can be quickly refuted. The money reaches the desired recipient in various ways: Many guests currently still tend to hand over the tip in cash to the staff when paying by card. Some card readers are equipped with a tip function. With this, the customer can conveniently select which tip should go to the employee, and this part is shown separately from the total amount. If in doubt, it is worthwhile to ask the staff directly to choose the appropriate solution.
Modern Cash Register Solution as Sample Answer
It depends on the right cash register setup to meet the desired payment diversity. For restaurateurs who don't want to exclude any guest and want to benefit from both worlds themselves at the same time, switching to a modern cash register system can also make sense.
Our ITR cash register, for example, enables payment with various payment systems (debit card, credit card, ApplePay, etc.), centralized data maintenance, table functions, or employee evaluations, which together reduce organizational effort. If the solution is extended by the kitchen monitor, the processes between service and kitchen staff can also be optimized—completely without excessive receipt management.
Conclusion
Ideally, every guest should have the freedom to choose whether to pay in cash or by card. It is essential to integrate all payment methods into the cash register system to achieve more security, transparency, and efficiency in business operations—e.g., with cash register software.
Would you like to do something good for your guests and yourself? Then let's all!