Workplace etiquette

Tell your manager before the jar does

You don’t need permission — money from your regulars is yours, not the venue’s. But a two-minute heads-up (“a few of my regulars asked to support me monthly; the card is mine, not the shop’s”) saves awkward conversations later. Most managers will say yes on the spot.

What a TipRiver card is not

• It is not the venue asking for tips. It has your name and your photo, never the venue’s logo.
• It is not a team pool. Every worker has their own page and their own regulars; there’s no shared pot unless you arrange one outside TipRiver.
• It is not a performance ladder. No ratings, no ranks, no “top earner” board exists anywhere in the product.

If your venue pools tips

Pooled-tip houses have their own deal, and it’s the house’s deal to explain. Ask how recurring personal pledges fit the pool before you put a card out — some pools count everything, and you deserve to know before, not after.

Colleagues who also have codes

Cards can sit side by side; regulars know who they mean. TipRiver never compares workers and neither should a rota — if a workplace ever makes pledges feel like a competition, write us. That’s a product failure as far as we’re concerned.

If a customer asks about it

One line works: “It’s a personal thing — if I make your mornings better, you can support me monthly. No pressure either way.” Then drop it. The card does the asking; you never have to.

If your employer objects

In most places accepting tips directly is your right, but rules differ by country, state and contract. We’ll never tell you to break a house rule — and we’ll never side with a venue against you either. If you’re unsure, ask us and we’ll talk it through with facts, not slogans.