Originally Posted by 12clicksMichele

I worked in the service industry for 9 years. Alot fo times credit card/debit cards will automatically add a 15 to 18% charge to your final bill. They do this temporarily to insure that if you tipped on your card that you had enough in your account to cover it. When your credit/debit card is run in a resturant it is not put through at the time for what could end up being the full amount so the credit card companies compensate for that. At the end of either the shift or week (depends on a resturants or bars policy) the credit cards are "settled" which entails adding in any tips written on the cc slip or $0 if left blank. You could call the resturant and ask them when they "settle" their credit cards and that should give you an idea of when your account should be adjusted. Usually takes just a day. You could also make sure that if your wife tipped on top of the added gratuity that the 18% was on the bill amount not total amount.