BWH Hotel Group to offer digital tipping via eTip and Visa

BWH HOTEL GROUP will offer cashless tipping to guests via eTip and Visa. The function will allow guests to express gratitude to hotel associates through pre-selected or custom tipping in the U.S. and Canada.

The eTip process will be available at properties of the group, including Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group hotels, the statement added.

BWH said the new facility will empower guests to financially give to those who rely on tips as latest reports revealed that only 16 percent of U.S. customers carry cash.

“We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our guests and bringing value to BWH hoteliers and their associates,” said Michael Morton, BWH vice president for brand management. “We’re excited to offer eTip digital tipping solution as a convenient way our valued guests can show appreciation to our dedicated hotel associates. We are equally excited to offer our associates a choice to receive their tips in real-time directly into their bank accounts. Innovation and caring are at the heart of our brand and we’re proud to partner with eTip to innovate the tipping experience for guests and hoteliers alike.”

To use eTip, guests need to scan a QR code using the camera on their mobile phone, tap the banner that appears on their screen, and then securely tip using their preferred payment method. It also offers “tap to tip,” which gives users the ability to pay through an NFC-enabled QR-code. The feature is activated by a user tapping their smartphone on the QR code, automatically opening the profile of the associate or department the guest wishes to tip. Once the guest leaves a tip electronically, associates can receive the tip in their bank account in real-time through Visa Direct.

“We are seeing an increase in market demand for a fast, reliable, and fully digitized tipping experience for hotel guests and employees in the hospitality industry,” said Yanilsa Gonzalez-Ore, senior vice president of Visa Direct. “eTip now offers a digital tipping solution, enabled by Visa Direct, to BWH Hotel Group, helping to modernize that process for their guests and employees.”

The eTip function does not require an app, but rather opens directly in their phone's browser. Guests can tip with their preferred payment method such as debit/credit card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The collaboration with Visa allows tip disbursement in real-time to any bank account with an eligible Visa card via Visa Direct, and eTip does all onboarding, payment processing, tip payouts and reporting.

“Too many hardworking employees hang in the balance of today’s increasingly cashless society. It’s time tipping caught up to the present day,” said Nicolas Cassis, CEO of eTip. “We’re excited to partner with BWH Hotel Group to enable cashless tipping and ensure their guests always have the opportunity to tip. We’ve been piloting with BWH Hotel Group for some time, as they wanted to be very intentional in this offering. What we found through this pilot and our own research is that the average associate increased the size of their tip percentage by 60 percent, and their average number of tips increased by five times. We are thrilled BWH Hotel Group saw the kind of impact through us to be convinced we could scale alongside them and elevate the experience for both their guests and associates.”

In September, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts launched a mobile tipping solution for its U.S. and Canadian franchisees.