AND…..the owner knows that there may be an opportunity to sell another drink or two or a dessert if the tab stays open.

BUt of course once you get your bill you need to provide your credit card as well and then wait for return. Hopefully by the time you complete your meal

My golf group of up to 20 eats lunch after the morning round and we always ask for the check when food is delivered. Sometimes they bring it right away and sometimes they don't.

Naturally, waiters don’t want to bring you the check until they’ve tried to talk you into buying dessert, coffee, or that special cocktail called the DUI. But I’ve never had a waiter refuse or hesitate when I’ve asked for the check when the meal is delivered. I often put my credit card near the edge of the table when I’m ready to pay, and waiters are usually quick to notice that and bring the check. But no, it’s not rude to ask for it early. Better to have you leave quickly, with a good tip, so there is a chance of a second seating, than to have you sit around and chat for another half hour and leave the same tip and leave too late for another seating. Some restaurants are very fast with bringing the checks, and some are slow. Time of day also matters, but in some restaurants, during slow periods waiters are standing around chatting with other waiters instead of paying attention. Then there are the ones who spend five minutes chatting about themselves. Sunday night I tried O’Grady’s, and the waitress devoted five minutes to telling us it was her birthday, and she’d gotten a $25 tip and was hoping for another. Oh, and how the food was authentic Scottish fare cooked in the traditional way. (It’s not.)

Have you noticed that, as soon as you provide a credit card, they charge your account immediately, before you have added the tip and signed the receipt? Then, later they modify the charge to include the tip. I always use cash in restaurants.

Another reason I like the billing machines at the table. Used it at Chili’s yesterday.

Maybe Olive Garden is your answer. They have small credit card payment machines at every table. Pay and leave when you're ready. Nice feature. I think Texas Roadhouse also has them.

I agree. I think the banks (Visa, etc) should require merchants to allow customers to complete their credit card transaction without the card being taken into the back room. It's too easy for someone to copy or photograph the card.

Where is “O’Grady’s”

I use my Apple Card at restaurants, all that's on the card is my name, no numbers are on the card.

That's the way credit card machines are set up to work, at least in the US where we add a tip. No one is trying to steal from you; in fact, they are just trying to do what you asked them to do:
- They presented you with a number (the bill) and you handed them your card
- They charged your card for the amount on the bill
- They presented you a receipt showing the time, date, amount charged, and card used
- YOU (the customer, not RG123 who pays in cash) chose to change the number by adding a tip
- They took the signed receipt, with the changes you made and signed for
- Later, when they weren't busy serving other customers, they went back to the computer to adjust the total per your instructions.

The only time this doesn't happen is with the newer systems where they hand the computer to you to finish the process. This works but is slower for the server who has to wait for you to figure out how to use the system, figure out what tip to add, and figure out which direction to insert your card all while they are standing at your table and not bringing food to one of their other customers. I've seen fairly intelligent people struggle to figure out how much a 20% tip would be and was glad my food wasn't held up for the time it took them to do the calculation.

Delray Beach

Is this wrong? Why would anyone care if it is wrong? Be BRAVE and move forward with my life - I could care less if someone objects.

Exactly. But, I think a lot of people don't realize that they have already charged your card before you sign the receipt. So, even if you don't sign it, they will still charge the card. The two issues I have are that they take your card into another room, and that they make manual adjustments to the transaction after you have left. I will use the machines at the table, where I can complete the transaction, including the tip, entirely electronically.

God knows you don’t have the time to waste!