# Applebee’s customer pushes back on suggested tip after checking the math

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/applebees-customer-pushes-back-on-suggested-tip-after-checking-the-math/
- Published: 2026-10-29T10:00:24+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T10:51:46+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Far right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/applebees-customer-pushes-back-suggested-tip-after-checking-math
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Applebee’s kiosk suggested an $11.30 tip on a $49.49 bill.
- The tip was calculated on the $56.50 after-tax total.
- A hospitality manager says tip calculation settings can vary.

## Summary

A customer questioned an Applebee’s kiosk after it suggested an $11.30 tip on a $49.49 bill, more than the 20% tip he expected. The apparent reason was that the kiosk worked out the suggested tip from the $56.50 total after tax, highlighting how the calculation base can affect what diners are prompted to pay.

Hospitality managing partner Robert Mahon said restaurants can often change their payment systems’ tip settings, which may default to calculating gratuities before tax. He said tips should generally be based on the pre-tax amount and that customers should be told clearly what the suggested percentage applies to. The kiosk reportedly disclosed its method, and the article notes a similar dispute at Dave & Buster’s.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.