So before I had signed up for a restaurant shop, I reviewed the details and it said "shop pays $10, and reimbursement is up to $75." So I accepted the shop and received the full guidelines, questions, etc. In reviewing the full guidelines, I read "We will reimburse up to 15% of the check up to the reimbursement limit of the shop." I find the initial shop details very misleading, because it said nothing of this "15%" reimbursement when I was reviewing it. I would have not proceeded with accepting the shop had I known this.

Anyone else have an issue with a shop not disclosing this kind of information until AFTER you've already signed up for the shop?

Hi Mary,

That indeed does sound misleading - are you sure that the 15% you mentioned is not referring to the gratuity (tip), but instead to the whole check?

From my personal experience, shops like that often have the similar compensation (about $10-$20), and similar reimbursement ($40-$80), but the reimbursement applies to the total amount spent, and you are allowed to tip the server - the tip would be also reimbursed, for example up to 15% of the receipt amount.

So if your receipt total was $50, you could pay $57.5 (with the $7.5 tip) and be reimbursed for the full $57.5. If you paid $60, you'd still be reimbursed for $57.5, since everything over a $7.5 tip is greater than 15% of the original total receipt amount.

I hope this is the case with your shop (and if so, you might want to email the MSP to update their guidelines to be more clear on this).

Cheers!

So I had reached out to the MSP, but I found their answer confusing:

I asked: "i.e. if I spent $60 on dinner, NWLPC will reimburse me $60? Or would it be 15% of $60? Just want to make sure I have this right, as the wording from Cactus' guidelines were confusing."

His reply: "Yes, but if your dinner comes to $75 or more you have to absorb the tip. In your scenario It would be 15% of $60."

They are saying: Yes, they pay for up to $75, including a 15% tip, which they are suggesting you leave. In other words:

Dinner $60

Tip 15%: $9

Total $69

You would be reimbursed $69. They want to be sure you leave a 15% tip, not just use all $75 for food, and blow off the tip.

Hi there, also shops of this nature usually require a tip. I have seen that listed numerous times (i.e. it is required to leave a tip of 15%, $3.00, etc). Hope this helps too.

Yeah, it's like I thought :)

So you'll only have to pay for something out of your own pocket if the total (with the tip) is over $75. :)