Americans have long grumbled about tipping culture — but now digital checkout screens are turning that frustration into full-blown financial disasters.
Sometimes, the issue isn’t just pressure to tip — it’s how easy it is to make a costly mistake. One in five Americans say they’ve accidentally tipped more than intended on digital checkout screens, according to an exclusive Opinium poll for DailyMail.com on tipping culture.
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That’s exactly what happened to Linda Mathiesen. While buying CBD pain relief gel at a store in San Bruno, California, she accidentally tipped $5,000 on a $129.28 purchase.
Mathiesen said she meant to leave a $5 tip, but the payment terminal didn’t show a decimal point, so when she entered “5000,” the system took it — literally.
At first, the clerk at San Bruno Exotic told her the charge couldn’t be reversed. Then the story shifted — he claimed the shop never received the money. But Mathiesen’s bank statement showed otherwise.
“I’m just livid because I’m like I’m not going to pay $5,000 for something I never intended to happen,” Mathiesen told ABC 7 News.
A tipping error gone wrong
For Mathiesen, a $5,000 tipping mistake wasn’t just a moment of panic — it became a financial crisis. As a special education teacher living on a fixed income, she didn’t have the cushion to absorb the hit. With no emergency savings to fall back on, the charge was devastating.
And she’s not alone. According to the U.S. News survey, 42% of Americans have no emergency savings, despite experts recommending three to six months’ worth of expenses.
Mathiesen contacted Wells Fargo within five minutes of the transaction, but says the bank has done little to help, despite its promise of “zero liability protection” for promptly reported fraud.
The bank’s website says its “built-in protection features ensure that you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized transactions, as long as they’re reported promptly.” Yet, a year later, Mathiesen is still fighting to get the charge reversed.
“I busted out in tears,” she told ABC 7 News. “My son is graduating college next week … and I can’t even buy anything for him because I have $5,000 outstanding … now it’s $5,500!”
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
It’s not as rare as you’d think
Digital checkout screens may speed things up, but one wrong tap can turn a routine purchase into a nightmare.
It happened to Vera Conner, too. The Georgia woman was ordering her usual No. 4 Italian sandwich at Subway — priced at $7.54 — when she accidentally left a $7,112.98 tip.
Conner said she was entering her phone number for loyalty points when the screen suddenly flipped to the tipping prompt. Before she realized what had happened, the charge went through.
After hours of calls with Subway and Bank of America, she eventually got the charge reversed — but not without major stress.
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, there are steps you can take:
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Act fast. Contact your bank or card provider as soon as the transaction posts. The faster you report it, the stronger your case. Most banks allow 60 days to dispute a charge, but don’t wait that long.
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Document everything. Screenshot the receipt, the payment screen if you can and keep records of any communication with the merchant. These details help prove the error wasn’t intentional.
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Know the fine print. Many banks offer protection against unauthorized transactions, but not all mistakes qualify. If you technically authorized the payment, even by accident, you may be out of luck unless the merchant agrees to reverse it.
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Build an emergency fund. It’s not just for layoffs or medical bills. Sometimes it’s for the unexpected stuff — like tipping $5,000 for a $129 product.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
