When a guest leaves a tip, you can give it to the team member who earned it, even if the tip came in without one. Open the booking, go to the Payments tab, and assign the tip from the payment it came in on. The name then shows in the Assigned To column of the Tips report, so you know who to pay out.
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When you'd use this
Tips often arrive without a name attached:
- A guest tips in the customer portal. Guests don't choose a team member when they tip there, so every portal tip arrives unassigned.
- Staff collect a tip and close the window before picking who it's for.
- The wrong person was picked, or the tip should go to someone else after all.
In each case you can assign, change, or clear the recipient later. Assigning is always optional. A tip with no recipient is still collected and still shows in your reports.
What you need first
- Tip type set to individual team members. Go to Setup Point of Sale & Tips and, under Tip Type, choose Enabled - Individual. With a single shared pool, tips aren't assigned to anyone, so the option doesn't appear. See Set up and collect tips.
- Team members marked as eligible. Only people with Eligible to receive tips turned on appear in the list. It's on by default for new team members. See Add and manage team members.
Assign a tip
- Open the booking and select the Payments tab.
- Select the payment that has the tip (it shows + tip under the amount) to expand its details.
- Next to the tip amount, select Assign recipient.
- Pick the team member from the list.
- Select Save recipient.
The tip line now reads the amount followed by the team member's name, for example $18.00 for Morgan D.
Change or clear who gets a tip
- Expand the payment on the Payments tab.
- Next to the team member's name, select Change.
- To give the tip to someone else, pick them from the list. To leave it unassigned, select the ✕ in the list to clear it.
- Select Save recipient.
See who received each tip
Go to Reports Finance Tips and run the report for the dates you need. The Assigned To column shows the team member each tip went to. A blank means the tip hasn't been assigned yet, which makes the report a quick way to find tips that still need a name.
If you change a tip's recipient, the report shows the new name the next time you run it. Assigning a tip records who earned it. It doesn't move any money, so use the report to pay out tips however your team normally does.
Examples
- Credit a guide for a portal tip: a guest tips the day after their kayak tour. Open the booking, expand the tip payment, and assign it to the guide who led the trip.
- Fix a tip assigned to the wrong person: the front desk picked the wrong name at the museum counter. Select Change, pick the right team member, and save.
- Find tips with no name before payroll: run the Tips report for the pay period and look for blanks in Assigned To, then open each booking and assign it.
- Leave a tip unassigned on purpose: a guest tipped "the whole crew" on a group boat charter. Leave it blank, or clear an existing name with Change and ✕.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't I see Assign recipient next to a tip?
Check these in order. Your Tip Type must be Enabled - Individual under Setup, then Point of Sale & Tips. You need the Charge credit cards permission. The payment must have gone through, with a status of Successful. If the tip was fully refunded, there's nothing left to assign, so the tip line no longer shows.
Can guests choose who gets their tip?
No. Guests who tip in the customer portal don't pick a team member, so those tips arrive unassigned. Your team assigns them afterward from the booking's Payments tab. When staff collect a tip by card from the booking, they're asked to pick a team member right after the charge.
Do I have to assign every tip?
No. Assigning is optional. An unassigned tip is still collected, still counts in your totals, and still appears in the Tips report with a blank Assigned To.
Why isn't a team member in the list?
The list shows only active team members with Eligible to receive tips turned on. Turn it on in their team member profile, and make sure their sign-in isn't disabled. See Add and manage team members.
Can I split one tip between two people?
No. Each tip goes to one team member. If a booking has more than one tip, for example one at checkout and another later in the portal, each tip has its own Assign recipient, so they can go to different people.
What if part of the tip was refunded?
The tip line shows the amount that's left, and you can still assign or change it. If the whole tip is refunded, the tip line disappears.
Does changing the recipient change anything with the guest or the payment?
No. The guest isn't notified and the payment amount doesn't change. Only the team member credited for the tip changes, in the booking and in the Tips report.
I picked a team member while charging a card, but the tip shows as unassigned. Why?
If that team member couldn't receive tips at the time, for example their tip eligibility was off, the payment still goes through but the tip is saved without a name. Check their Eligible to receive tips setting, then assign the tip from the Payments tab.
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