[balls187]

It's way more convenient. In the US, primarily, you either ask for the bill, you wait until they bring it, you give them your credit card, wait for them to charge it and bring back your card and the copy to sign, then you are free to leave.

In the EU, you ask for the bill, they bring you the bill and the credit card machine, and you are charged right there at the table, where you have to sign (because you have an US Credit Card after all)

Actually it's kind of funny when you visit remote places in Europe, and the proprietors are confused because this is the first time they've rang up a US Credit card, and the machine spits out a second receipt asking them to validate the signature.

[peterwwillis]

It's embarrassing for Americans because they're squeamish. They have to leave a tip, and if the server is doing the payment right there, you have to actually face them when leaving your embarrassingly inadequate tip.

In the American model, payment is processed away from the customer and the bill is left for tip-adding after the server has left, to save the sensitibilities of cheap customers who tip badly.

[balls187]

Not a European expert by any means, but I've found that when you pay with CC there usually isn't a place to leave a tip. Tipping is done with spare change left on the table.

Also, I thought tipping itself isn't necessary, as many european countries have social programs to offset low wages.

[spilk]

The ideal solution here is to get rid of tipping, but I don't see that happening in my lifetime.

[DominikD]

The ideal solution would be to tip adequately so that one doesn't have to be embarassed during payment.

[balls187]

The ideal solution is to build in living wages into the prices of food so tipping isn't used to subsidize restaurant owners.