Suggested tips on receipt do not match settled tips

[WineSneak]

We are having an occasional issue where the suggested tip does not match settles tip.

Our receipts have three suggested percentages for tips. We have our settings configured to calculate tips BEFORE SALES TAX but the receipt shows the suggested tip as a percentage of the total, including tax. 

Is anyone having an issue like this? I just spent an hour on chat with Square with NO resolution. 

[Stacelyn24]

Hey there 👋 I can totally understand how frustrating that is — especially when you're trying to balance accuracy and good customer experience at the register. You're not alone — others have mentioned similar discrepancies between suggested tip amounts and the actual settled tips when tax is involved.

🧐 Here’s what might be happening:

Even though you've selected the option to calculate tips BEFORE tax, Square will sometimes still calculate the suggested tip amounts based on the entire total (tax included), depending on the device or checkout experience:

• Square Terminal & Register tend to honor the “before tax” setting correctly

• Square App (iOS/Android), Online Checkout, or older hardware may still calculate off the grand total (post-tax)

So depending on where the transaction was taken (or if it was updated later), you could see mismatches.

✅ Here are a few things to try or double-check:

1. Confirm Tip Settings at All Access Points
   Go to Dashboard > Account & Settings > Tipping and confirm the settings apply to:

   • POS devices

   • Invoices

   • Online store or payment links

2. Test on a Single Device
   Try logging a small $1.00 test transaction only on the device where you’re seeing the issue to see how it calculates tips.

3. Update Hardware & App Versions
   If you're using a mobile device or legacy terminal, make sure the app and OS/software are up to date. Some tip-setting changes only take effect in newer versions.

4. Watch for "Custom Amount" Overrides
   If a customer manually edits the tip amount after choosing a preset, it can override the tip percentage behavior and make the settled amount appear mismatched.

[WineSneak]

1. The issue is exclusively on Square for Restaurants iPad app. 
2. Dashboard > Account & Settings > Tipping does not exist on Restaurant dashboard

[Stacelyn24]

Hey there! 👋 Thanks for sharing more details — this helps a lot. The tipping settings on the Square for Restaurants iPad app are actually managed differently than the standard Square Dashboard, which is why you don’t see the Tipping option under Account & Settings.

For Restaurants, tipping is configured directly in the Point of Sale settings within the app itself — under Settings > Service Charges & Tipping. Make sure the suggested tip amounts match what's reflected there. Also, double-check that your app is up to date, since older versions can cause tip discrepancies on receipts.