Machine accepts cards for tips

DipJar enables small payments by credit or debit card, ensuring that cardholders can still leave a gratuity.

As currency goes ever more digital, there have been a number of new technologies enabling quick transactions of small amounts, from contactless wristwatch payments to bill-settling with fingerprints. But does ditching loose change mean that customer service staff are losing out on tips? The DipJar aims to make sure that cardholders can still leave a gratuity. The device is a cylinder containing a card slot that can be placed at the point of sale at venues where a tip may be expected, such as a restaurant or hotel. Users insert their card, take it out and wait for the confirmation sound to indicate that the transaction – which is always USD 1 – was successful. Since the sum is a small amount, no PIN is required. If the cardholder wants to leave a tip larger than USD 1, they need only to ‘dip’ their plastic the desired amount of times. Fees on debit and credit card transactions mean that staff actually see USD 0.80 of each dollar at the moment, but the company is working on getting that figure up to around USD 0.90. DipJar enables service-based businesses to capture tips that otherwise might not be collected due to the difficult nature of charging small amounts to cards. Could your business benefit from such a device? Spotted by: Katherine Noyes