I want a friend of mine to take his mom out to dinner and it be on me ... entirely (they have helped me with some problems over the years) if i get them a big enough gift card will they be able to use it to leave the tip too? i mean a $100 dinner warrants a tip bigger than cooking at home would have cost in the first place.



Thank you,

2/5/2008 3:05:46 PM

It should say on the back of the card. I think it works just like a CC purchase in terms of tip

2/5/2008 3:08:51 PM

I've gotten a gift card for a restaurant. I used the gift card as i would a regular credit/debit card. So yes, they can use the gc to add a tip.

2/5/2008 3:17:42 PM

yes it can always do tip, sometimes (not verry often) they won't let you use one for alcohol

2/5/2008 3:20:05 PM

I think it must depend on the restaurant. My dad gave me one to the Melting Pot and it did cover alcohol, but it could not cover the tip...

2/5/2008 4:20:21 PM

^yeah i think it varies

Also some cards are good for food only (ie no alcohol)

2/5/2008 4:21:38 PM

most of the places I have tried to do that won't accept gift cards as tip

2/6/2008 9:46:33 AM

Definitely depends on the restaurant.
At any of the OSI affiliates a tip can be left on a gift card.
(And the gift cards can be used at a restaurant different than the one for which it is issued)
Here is a link that says a bit about their giftcards & the restaurants included.
http://www.osirestaurantpartners.com/giftcards.asp

No website is going to tell you whether you are able to include tip on a GC... so I would suggest calling the restaurant and asking a manager (I say manager because most hosts/hostesses won't ever handle monetary transactions and are likely to give you false information to make their life easier).

2/6/2008 10:49:19 AM

get him the American Express gift card. Works just like an Amex card would except its pre-paid.

2/6/2008 6:32:35 PM

^ a lot of places don't accept amex though.

i would recommend something more widely accepted like a visa or mastercard gift certificate. you could definitely use that for tip too.

[Edited on February 7, 2008 at 7:50 AM. Reason : adf]

2/7/2008 7:49:43 AM

*

[Edited on February 7, 2008 at 8:11 AM. Reason : .]

2/7/2008 8:03:35 AM

Yeah, a visa gift card would be easy, and it wouldnt tie them to one restaurant.

2/7/2008 8:21:08 AM