How to Get More Tips in Summer: A Guide for Terraces and Restaurants

Why summer is the best season for tips

Full terraces, passing tourists, faster table turnover, more drinks served per hour. Summer multiplies your team's workload — but only if your tipping system is ready to capture it. Otherwise, all that extra tip potential stays on the table.

Literally: if you rely only on cash, most tourists and terrace customers in summer aren't carrying local currency. All that extra activity never turns into extra tips for your team.

The specific summer problem: tourists without local cash

During peak season, a large share of your customers are tourists who:

• Have exchanged little or no local currency
• Pay for almost everything by card or phone for travel convenience
• Don't know the local tipping custom and aren't sure how much to leave
• Are in a hurry to get back to the beach, the tour, or the hotel

A cash tipping system depends on the customer having exactly what's needed in their pocket, at the right moment. In summer, with tourists, that probability drops sharply.

5 ways to increase tips during peak season

1. A visible QR code on every terrace table

Having it only at the bar or entrance isn't enough — in summer, the volume is on the terrace. A QR on every table captures the tip at the exact moment the customer is happy.

2. Let the customer choose who to reward

In summer, more staff rotate through split shifts and seasonal reinforcements. Letting the customer choose who to reward — instead of a generic jar — motivates the extra staff you hire just for the season.

3. Use the QR for seasonal reinforcement staff

Seasonal summer staff don't always stay long enough to "learn" the venue's physical tip-jar system. Adding them to the venue's QR page takes seconds, so they're never left out of the tips guests leave.

4. Let customers know Apple Pay and Google Pay work

A small sign next to the QR — "Tip with Apple Pay or Google Pay" — removes the tourist's doubt about whether the system is trustworthy. The less they have to think, the more likely they are to use it.

5. Show the team ranking during the season

Healthy competition among the team motivates more when there are more shifts and more pressure. Seeing the real-time ranking during the busiest months keeps energy high even during the longest shifts.

The real impact, in numbers

Terrace restaurants that activate digital tipping before peak season report:

• More tips from tourist customers who previously left nothing simply because they had no cash
• Better distribution among seasonal reinforcement staff, who no longer depend on being present when the jar gets split
• Less friction during service — staff don't have to handle change during the busiest hours

Get your terrace ready before peak season starts

Activating StarTip before the summer rush takes less time than it takes for your next napkin order to arrive:

1. Sign up at startip.online
2. Add your team, including seasonal reinforcement staff
3. Connect your bank account via Stripe
4. Print one QR per table — durable, no battery or connection needed

From €4.99/month, no contract. Activate it now and have everything ready before the first packed weekend.

[Activate StarTip before summer →](/onboarding)

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with foreign customers who don't speak the language? Yes. The QR doesn't require speaking the language — the process is visual: scan, choose an amount, pay. Apple Pay and Google Pay work the same way in any country.

Can I quickly activate my summer reinforcement staff? Yes, adding a new team member takes seconds and they appear on the venue's QR page straight away.

Do I need to print a new QR every summer? No, your venue's QR or each employee's QR never expires — you can reuse it season after season.