In this article, you will learn what to do when the POS or Mobile POS asks you to confirm a tip that is over your store's limits, who can approve it, and how the check works when you select, enter, or change a tip.
What the Over-Limit Tip Alert Means
Your store can set an amount limit and a percentage limit for tips. When a tip is higher than both limits, the POS stops before the tip is submitted and asks you to check it. To keep that amount, an employee with the Approve Excessive Tips permission must enter their PIN.
If only one limit is exceeded, or the tip is exactly equal to a limit, there is no alert and the tip is submitted as usual.
The alert does not mean the tip is wrong. Large tips do happen, for example on catering orders, large parties, or when a customer simply tips more. The alert just asks you to double-check before the tip goes through, because once a tip is in the transaction, fees may already apply even if it is later reversed or refunded.
To set the limits, see Settings - Tips & Auto-Gratuity. To choose who can approve, see Management - Employee Permission Options.
When the Alert Can Appear
The check works on the POS and on Mobile POS, for both Quick Service and Table Service:
When a tip is selected on screen before the card payment
When a tip is selected on screen after the card is authorized
When you enter a tip from a signed receipt for the first time, using [Update Tip] on the POS or [Completion Tip] on Mobile POS
When you change a tip again after the payment is complete
Preset percentages, preset amounts, and the preset selected by default are checked too. So are tips on manually entered cards, and on gift cards and custom payment methods your store has turned on. The check runs only when you submit the tip, not while you are typing.
For split payments, each payment is checked on its own, using that payment's share of the order.
What to Do When the Alert Appears
The alert shows the Final tip, Exceeds both limits, and a prompt to enter an approval PIN. The percentage shown under Exceeds both limits is your store's limit, not this tip's actual percentage.
Check the tip against what the customer chose or wrote on the receipt.
If the amount is wrong, go back and change it. The new amount is checked again when you submit it.
If the amount is correct, ask an employee with the approval permission to enter their PIN. Once the PIN is accepted, the payment continues with this tip.
Canceling or going back to change the amount does not undo the progress of the payment. If the tip was confirmed before the card payment, you will not be asked again for the same amount when only the signature is left.
Entering a Tip from a Signed Receipt
In [Update Tip] on the POS or [Completion Tip] on Mobile POS, select the payment. For split payments, select the specific payment.
Enter the amount in Tips, or enter Total and let the POS work out the tip, then submit it. Either way, the final tip is what gets checked.
If the alert appears, compare it with the signed receipt. Go back and fix it if it was entered wrong, or have an approver enter their PIN if it is correct.
Changing a Tip Again After Payment
Open the payment from the usual place you change tips. Whether you can start editing still depends on your existing permissions, such as Update Tip Again on the POS.
The usual confirmation still lists the old tip, the new tip, and the difference. If the new tip is over both limits, the same confirmation also shows the over-limit note and a place to enter an approval PIN. The PIN you entered to start editing does not count for this step.
The check uses the tip after your change, not the difference. Even if you lower a tip, you will still be asked for a PIN if the new tip is still over both limits.
Who Can Enter the PIN
Only an employee with the approval permission can approve the tip.
If you have the permission yourself, you still need to enter your own PIN. Being logged in, a PIN entered earlier, or an Access Card does not count.
If the PIN is wrong, or the employee does not have the permission, the POS stays on the PIN step and nothing is submitted. Another approver can enter their PIN, or you can cancel and change the amount.
Each approval covers only the current payment and the current amount. If you change the amount, switch to another payment, or leave and come back, you will need to confirm again. Two payments over the limits need two PINs.
If no one at your store has the approval permission, a tip over both limits cannot be submitted at that amount. Make sure your store has approvers set up in Management - Employee Permission Options before you rely on the alert.
FAQ
Q: I have the approval permission. Why do I still need to enter a PIN?
A: The PIN step asks the person submitting the tip to stop and check the amount, not just to prove they have permission. Once you have checked it, enter your own PIN to continue.
Q: I already entered a PIN to start editing the tip. Why do I need another one?
A: The two PINs confirm different things. The first one allows you to edit the tip. The second one confirms that the new tip, which is over both limits, is correct.
Q: The tip and the percentage base do not add up to the payment total. Is something wrong?
A: No. The percentage is based on the same amount your store uses for preset tips, such as the subtotal, while the payment total is calculated as usual. For example, with a tip base of $50, a payment of $55 before tip, and a $600 tip, the payment total is $655, not $650.
Q: Is this the same as the tip limits from my payment processor?
A: No. Payment processors may have their own tip limits, and those still apply. A tip approved through this alert must still meet the processor's limits.
Things to Know
Orders customers place themselves on your online ordering app, website, or kiosk do not show this alert.
Devices that have not been updated to the latest version do not show the alert. If your store has several devices, update all of them.
Skip Tip and No Tip work as before. Auto-gratuity is not affected.
If you have questions, contact Peblla Support.