As the use of tablets within restaurants rises, customers are embracing the change, with 68 per cent of casual restaurant patrons preferring to tip via an iPad or similar tablet.

Figures were also high for fast casual dining (counter-service restaurants, such as Wetherspoons and Fullers) with 50 per cent of customers preferring to tip via tablet, and even in fine dining establishments, at 43 per cent.

The figures come from a report by Software Advice, which also found that 89 per cent of customers rated tipping using tablet point-of-sale (POS) systems as either not at all difficult or minimally difficult, demonstrating the extent to which consumers are confident at dealing with such technology.

Shifting to tablet POS could also benefit serving staff, with 41 per cent of respondents saying that the server remaining in close proximity to guide them through the process of paying via tablet would either definitely or probably increase their likelihood to tip.

Keeping customers in control of their tip is crucial however – 66 per cent of patrons strongly prefer to input tips themselves, rather than having it set by the server, and 29 per cent of patrons are more likely to tip if they are also given the chance to opt-out of doing so.

“For restaurant operators and servers to truly maximise the benefits of iPad POS systems, its important to recognise that software is just one factor in a customers decision on how much to tip,” said Justin Guinn, market research associate at Software Advice. “Servers must take advantage of the benefits enabled by these systems to forge stronger relationships with patrons and provide greater overall service in order to make a real impact on the tip amount left.”