BWH Hotel Group Implements Digital Tipping Solution eTip — LODGING

PHOENIX, Arizona—BWH Hotel Group has selected eTip as a digital tipping solution for its hotels. Using eTip, BWH Hotel Group will create a digital tipping experience that will allow guests to express gratitude to hotel associates through pre-selected or custom tipping. eTip will be available at properties within the BWH Hotel Group portfolio—including Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group hotels in the United States and Canada.

Online and digital payments continue to rise to the point when it is now reported that only 16 percent of U.S. customers still carry cash. eTip addresses this lack-of-cash dilemma by letting guests digitally give to those who rely on tips while removing complexities and friction points found in traditional tipping models.

“We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our guests and bringing value to BWH Hotel Group hoteliers and their associates,” said Michael Morton, vice president, brand management, BWH Hotel Group. “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.”

eTip requires no mobile app download or login credentials. Guests scan a QR code using the camera on their mobile phone, tap the banner that appears on their screen, and then tip using their preferred payment method. eTip also offers “tap to tip,” which gives users the ability to pay through an NFC-enabled QR code, which 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, eliminating the need to wait for a tip to be paid through the weekly or bi-weekly payroll process.

“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.”

Capabilities of eTip include:

• No app is required. eTip opens directly in phone browsers.
• Flexible payment options. Guests can tip with their preferred payment methods such as debit/credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more.
• Automatic tip disbursements. eTip’s collaboration with Visa allows tip disbursement in real-time to any bank account with an eligible Visa card via Visa Direct.
• Individual and/or pooled tipping. Managers can allocate tips to individual associates or pool tips by team/department.
• Branding. Enables BWH Hotel Group to design the system with its brand image.
• Staff assistance. eTip does 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.”