Make the tip clearly optional, put a visible no-tip choice alongside the suggested amounts, and show the tip as its own line before the guest places the order. The total should update for every choice. A guest who leaves no tip should be able to finish without searching for a hidden option.
That approach gives guests a straightforward decision while still making it easy to recognize staff. It also reduces confusion between a gratuity and the other charges on an order. Here is how to set up the choices, check the math, and review the checkout with your ordering and payment providers.
Decide what guests can choose
Start with the choices you want a guest to see: suggested percentages or dollar amounts, a custom amount, and no tip. Ask your ordering provider which of these can be configured and how they appear on desktop and mobile. Do not assume that a custom field automatically provides an obvious no-tip path.
Use a direct label such as Optional tip. If a tip is selected by default, a guest may miss it and assume the displayed total is the required price. An unselected starting state makes the decision more deliberate. Ask whether your system can use one, and whether the guest must actively choose an amount or no tip before continuing.
If you offer percentages, decide what they are calculated on. The food and drink subtotal is one understandable basis. Whatever basis you choose, state it near the options: for example, “Percentages are based on your food and drink subtotal.” Ask whether discounts change that basis and whether the amount is rounded. A percentage button is less useful if the guest cannot see the resulting dollar amount before paying.
A custom amount gives guests flexibility, but it needs an understandable input field. Can a guest enter zero? Can they correct an entry without restarting checkout? Is there a clear message if an amount is not accepted? A separate “No tip” option remains easier to find than asking every guest to work out that entering zero is allowed.
Decide who will answer the setup questions before changing anything. The owner or manager can choose the wording and proposed amounts. The ordering provider can explain the available controls and how totals are displayed. The payment provider can explain its current handling of tips and payment adjustments. The person responsible for staff payouts should confirm how a recorded tip is reported and reconciled.
If your setup cannot show the choices you want, ask what alternatives are available. Avoid promising guests a particular recipient for the tip unless your actual payout process supports that wording.
Keep the tip separate from fees
A guest should be able to distinguish the food price, any delivery or service charge, applicable tax, and the optional tip. Show each as a labeled line in the order summary. Do not combine the tip with a fee under a vague label such as “additional charges.”
For example, a delivery charge and a tip can both appear on the same order, but they answer different questions. The delivery charge is part of the stated order cost; the tip is the amount the guest chooses to add. Do not imply that a delivery charge is a gratuity or that a gratuity covers delivery costs. If guests ask who receives a charge or tip, use an answer that matches your actual arrangements.
Consider the trade-off between a short checkout and a clear one. Four suggested buttons can save typing, but too many similar options make the decision harder to scan. A short explanation of the percentage basis may add a line, yet prevent a larger surprise in the final total. On a small screen, make sure the no-tip option and updated total do not disappear below a long list of choices.
Also check where the prompt appears. A tip selection made early should still be visible in the final review. If the guest changes the order, the displayed tip and total should be recalculated or clearly identified as a fixed amount, depending on the choice and system behavior. Ask the provider how that works before relying on it.
Walk through sample totals
The following is a hypothetical checkout example, not a Fleksa price or a processing quote. Assume a $40 food and drink subtotal, a $4 delivery charge, and $3 in tax. The suggested percentages are calculated on the $40 subtotal, not on the delivery charge or tax.
| Guest choice | Tip calculation | Tip shown | Order total |
|---|---|---|---|
| No tip | $0 | $0 | $47 |
| 10% | 10% of $40 | $4 | $51 |
| 15% | 15% of $40 | $6 | $53 |
| 20% | 20% of $40 | $8 | $55 |
| Custom | Guest enters $5 | $5 | $52 |
Read each total as $40 plus $4 plus $3, with the selected tip added. The no-tip order is $47; choosing 15% adds $6 and makes it $53. The custom row shows why a guest should see the entered amount carried through to the final review.
These are guest-facing order totals, not restaurant profit or an all-in operating cost. The example includes the stated delivery charge and assumed tax; it excludes payment processing, fixed operating costs, variable fulfillment costs, and exception costs such as refunds or adjustments. Actual tax and other charges depend on the order and location. Ask a qualified adviser about tax or contract treatment where needed.
Now change one condition at a time in your own worksheet. What happens if a discount reduces the food subtotal? If a guest changes a 15% tip to a fixed custom amount, does the display clearly show the new selection? If they return to no tip, does the tip line show $0 or disappear in a way that still leaves the total understandable? Check the final amount, not just the button highlight.
Ask how refunds and canceled orders appear in reporting, too. A clear checkout does not by itself explain how an adjustment affects a tip after payment. Your manager needs a usable record for reconciliation and a way to answer a guest’s question.
Use a checkout presentation checklist
Review the complete guest journey on a phone and a larger screen. Include someone who has not configured the checkout; they are more likely to notice wording that depends on insider knowledge. For a broader view of the ordering decision, use the online ordering buying guide alongside this focused check.
- Label: Does the prompt say the tip is optional, without suggesting that a tip is needed to place the order?
- Choice: Are no tip and any custom amount easy to find and use? Is the starting selection clear?
- Basis: For a percentage, can the guest tell what amount it applies to and see the dollar result?
- Summary: Are the tip, delivery or service charges, tax, and final total shown separately before submission?
- Changes: Can the guest revise the tip and see the updated total without losing the order?
- Accessibility: Are labels readable at a larger text size, controls usable with a keyboard, and selections understandable without relying on color alone?
- Records: Can staff identify the chosen tip and understand how later adjustments appear?
Ask the ordering and payment providers for their current rules before changing the prompt. Useful questions include: Which tip choices and defaults can we configure? How are percentage amounts rounded? What happens when an order is edited, canceled, or partially refunded? Are there restrictions on changing a tip after authorization? Ask for answers that apply to your specific account and checkout flow.
Use a sandbox, demo, or other simulated environment for practice checks where available. A simulation must not charge a real card, send a guest message, or dispatch a courier. If a safe simulation is unavailable, review the screens and calculations with the provider rather than placing a practice order that triggers real activity.
Keep that review distinct from a live service pilot. If you later choose to pilot a change with actual orders, agree on the configuration, staff responsibilities, monitoring, and rollback plan first. Live orders can involve real payments and fulfillment; do not treat them as simulations. Review guest questions and reconciliation records after the pilot, then decide whether the wording or layout needs adjustment.
Use the checklist on your current checkout, then ask Fleksa about restaurant online ordering, the tip controls available for your setup, and verified US availability. If guests begin on your restaurant website, check that the path into checkout is clear there as well.
Frequently asked questions
Should an online checkout select a tip automatically?
An unselected starting state makes the guest’s decision more deliberate. Ask your provider whether it supports that setup and a visible no-tip choice.
Should a percentage tip include the delivery charge?
Choose a calculation basis your system supports and make it clear to guests. A food and drink subtotal is one understandable basis; confirm how discounts and rounding affect it.
How can I check tip totals without placing a real order?
Ask for a sandbox or demo that does not charge a card, message a guest, or dispatch a courier. If none is available, walk through the screens and calculations with the provider.
