Tip Requested by Trivago for Letting Me Reserve a Hotel Room Online
Wish I had a screenshot of this, but when I tried to give Trivago my credit card to reserve a room in Chicago, one screen asked me to tip them a percentage of the room price - for letting me use their website to give them my money?? You had to select which percentage you’d tip, or “No Tip” to proceed. Possibly because I didn’t tip, none of my payment attempts went through, and instead I got a patronizing comment about how sometimes it happens (“it” being the implication that my ApplePay was declined because I’m a deadbeat or something??), and an offer to reserve with Klarna, which I think is some kind of credit merry-go-round. I just quit the whole thing and found a different hotel. Tipping requested for interacting with a scammy website has got to be a new low.
Posted Feb 23, 2026, 5:56 AM UTC