How do I pay a check at a restaurant with my debit card?

I'm going to a restaurant for a friends birthday party. I assume we are doing separate checks.





My problem is...I've never paid at a restaurant with my debit card before. What am I going to see/write/do. Help! How do I go about handling this situation as well as tipping practices?|||First of all, your debit card must have a Visa (real credit card) logo on it and not just an atm withdrawal card.





You can do seperate checks or you can pay the whole check on your card, and have your friend(s) give you cash for their portion.





When you get the bill, look at the charges before taxes. That's what you tip on. I tip 20%, but 15% is just fine. It's east to figure 10% of something, so just add 50% more. For instance, your bill is $40.00 before taxes. Then 10% would be $4.00 and 1/2 of that is $2.00 for a grand total of $6.00 or 15%. If you were to tip 20%, it would be 10% X 2.





When the waiter hands you the bill, show your credit card. They will take the card and run it through their machine and hand you back a receipt and pen. At that time, you add your tip portion onto the bill yourself, total it, sign at the bottom and hand it back. There may be 2 copies, you keep one and give back the signed one.





If your friends pay you in cash, be sure they also throw in a little extra for tip. You can also use a portion of that cash to leave on the table as a tip and not include it on your debit card.





Hope I explained this well enough for you to understand.





Good luck and have fun.





Don't forget to get your card back!|||If your card has one of the major credit card icons on it, they'll run it like a credit card and give you the slip to sign. If you're really concerned or aren't sure if your debit also works as a credit, get cash before the party.|||If it is only a debit card (meaning there is no major logo on it) then I don't know of anyplace that will take it. Assuming it is your basic credit/debit card, all you do is hand it to your server once they bring you the check. They will bring you back another check, this time with a pen so you can write in the tip amount along with your signature. Tip at least 15% of the total bill. If the server has done what you feel to be an excellent job, you can leave as much as you want.|||You use your debit card exactly as you do a credit card. When the bill comes just put your card with the bill and the waitperson will take it. When they bring it back simply figure out the tip,usually 15 percent add it to the bill,total it ,sign it and your done! If the service is excellent tip whatever you feel comfortable with AND CAN AFFORD!|||They'll put it through just like a credit card charge.





You will get the bill, maybe in a leatherette folder. Check it and put your debit card in there with it, sticking out the top, so the server knows you're ready to pay. Sometimes the bill is brought on a small tray. Put your card on top of the bill, so the server can see it and know you're ready to pay.





The server will bring back a charge receipt. There's a place to write in the tip. Figure 20%. Add that to the total in the place marked. Sign the receipt. Keep the one that says it's for you (the restaruant keeps the other copy).





Put your card in your wallet.