Tipping with credit card for meals

We’ve found it varies with the restaurant. Some places have the ability to add an additional amount (and also sometimes with the “opportunity” to have the sale ring up in dollars, rather than the local currency, which should always be done in Francs or you get a bad exchange rate), but usually the sale gets rung up only for the price of the meal, and we leave a bit of cash as a tip.

Kathy, Please do not "tip like we do in the States". Tipping is optional.
If you do decide to tip (note "if"), just round up to the nearest multiple of 10 Franks (or 20 Franks for a big bill).

Always check a restaurant or café takes cards, some don't.

Service charge is already included in Switzerland since a 1974 law. Nobody is going to complain if you want to leave extra money, but it is not expected and in my experience, in nearly all cases, the credit card slip does not contain a line for you to add that extra tip. If you go to a restaurant in a luxury hotel, especially an American chain (for example Hilton or Sheraton), the credit card slip will likely include an extra tip line for the added amount, but in a typical city restaurant I’ve never seen it (I was in CH last year the last time)
As I mentioned an extra tip on top of the service already included in the price of the bill is not expected, but if you want to leave something as extra appreciation for the outstanding service be ready to add that amount in cash. Also that amount doesn’t need to be 15% which is typical in the US. Especially if the total bill is large, a simple but generous rounding up will be more than appreciated. For example if the total table bill is 580 CHF rounding up to 600 CHF would be already generous in my book.

Most European credit card machines do not print out an extra line to add in your tip. In other words, whatever amount is entered into the machine is the final total. You have two options if you insist on leaving a tip:

1. Leave cash.

2. Tell the waiter to add in the amount of the tip to the total before typing the amount into the card machine.

But, as others have mentioned "service" will already have been added to your bill and that is the equivalent of the added tip for groups found at many US restaurants.

I tell the waiter/waitress what to run off as the final amount when it's a more upscale restaurant in Germany if I decide to pay with a credit card instead of cash.

If the final amount is ,say 26, 40 Euro for solo dining, I'll say, 28 Euro as I hand over the Visa credit card, if I am a regular customer as in the case in Berlin.

Please note what Chris F says - he lives there, and knows what the custom is. They are not expecting it, but they're not going to turn away free money, so of course they would be pleased at an unexpected gift. Dont impose the deeply engrained American custom of tipping-based-on-guilt onto another cultures. They might be lower paid jobs, but they are not paid starvation rates like they are here in the US. Do what Fred does and just round up.

That being said, on my last time there (Oct 2018), I noted one credit card receipt that had a line for "Trinkgeld"** (that is, drink money), an old term for tips. Most places did not.

**I took a photo of that since I know some experienced folks won't believe that.

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I do understand that service is included in the bill, and that I would round up to add a little extra. I just didn’t know if I would have a chance to add it when paying with a credit card.

I have seen this quite often in France on the receipt, which tells me I need not leave any sort of "tip."..."service compris."

I noted one credit card receipt that had a line for "Trinkgeld"** (that is, drink money), an old term for tips.

Very interesting. The old French term for a tip is "pour boire," which basically translates the same way.

The service is always included whether or not your receipt says so explicitly (rarely does any more). Any tip though is at your discretion and is not included.

I’m currently in Lucerne. I just tell them to apply the tip prior. I know the wait staff isn’t underpaid like the US, but we like to tip for good service.