Tips give guests a natural moment to express appreciation for their experience — and TripWorks can surface that moment automatically, whether the guest is paying on a card reader, a mobile device, or through your customer portal.

The tip system has three settings you'll configure: the tip type (a shared pool for the whole team, or assigned to individual guides), which surfaces prompt for a tip, and what percentage amounts to suggest. Your choices here affect how the prompt appears to guests and how tip data is tracked in your reports.

This article covers how to configure each setting and how to collect tips across the different payment scenarios your team might encounter.

Configure tips

1. Go to Setup > Point of Sale & Tips and select the Tips tab.
2. Under Tip Type, choose the option that fits your operation (see options below).
3. Under Where to Request Tips, check each surface where you want the prompt to appear.
4. Under Suggested Tip Amounts, enter up to three percentage values.
5. Click Update.

Tip type: Disabled

Tips are turned off. No tip prompt appears at checkout.

Tip type: Single Shared Tip

Collects a tip without assigning it to a specific guide. Best for operations where tip revenue is pooled and distributed manually. You can optionally enable Prompt for a Tip Note to let the guest add a short message.

Tip type: Individual

Guests are prompted to select which guide receives the tip. Best for operations where guides are tipped separately. Enable Prompt Team Member to Assign Tip to let the guide make the assignment themselves if the guest skips the selection.

Where to Request Tips

Enable tips on any combination of surfaces — you don't have to enable all three.

• Credit Card Readers — Prompt appears on the connected card reader during in-person payment. Requires a card reader connected to your account.
• iPad View — Prompt appears on a mobile device after the activity ends.
• Customer Portal — Guests can leave a tip from their online booking confirmation page.

Suggested Tip Amounts

Set up to three percentage options — for example, 15%, 18%, 20%. The tip is calculated on the pre-tip total. Guests can also enter a custom amount.

After saving, the tip prompt appears the next time a guest pays through an enabled surface. To verify card reader tips, process a test payment — the tip selection screen should appear on the device before the card is charged.

Collect tips

After tips are enabled, you can collect a tip in several ways depending on how the guest is paying.

Card reader

When the guest pays in person via card reader, the tip prompt appears automatically on the device.

1. Open the trip and select Payments, then + Payment.

2. Select Card Reader.

3. The card reader displays a tip selection screen. The guest selects an amount or enters a custom tip and taps to confirm. The payment and tip are processed together.

Manual card payment

When keying in a card number manually, add the tip before processing the charge.

1. Open the trip and select Payments, then + Payment.
2. Select Manual Card.

3. Select the cash icon to reveal the Other Tip Amount field and enter a dollar amount — or select the calculator icon to choose a percentage.

4. Select Charge to process the payment with the tip included.

After a trip is paid in full

If the trip is already paid, you can collect a tip as a separate transaction.

1. Open the trip and select Payments.
2. Select Add a Tip.

3. Select an amount and click Tip.

Saved card

If a card is saved on the trip, you can charge the tip to it without re-entering payment details.

1. Open the trip and select Payments.
2. Select Add a Tip.
3. Select an amount and click Tip. If a saved card is on file, it appears as a payment option. Select a different card if the guest prefers.

Tip requests by email

Include a tip link in your automated post-activity follow-up emails so guests can leave a tip after they've gone home.

Troubleshooting

The tip prompt isn't appearing on the card reader.
Confirm that Credit Card Readers is checked under "Where to Request Tips" in Setup > Point of Sale & Tips > Tips tab. Also verify the card reader is connected — the prompt only appears when a physical reader is detected.

I don't see "Add a Tip" after a trip is paid.
Add a Tip only appears once the full trip balance is paid. If any balance remains, process the remaining payment first, then return to the Payments tab.

A guide isn't showing in the tip assignment list.
In Individual mode, only guides marked as eligible to receive tips appear in the list. Go to Setup > Team, open the guide's profile, and confirm tip eligibility is enabled.