Veteran-Owned Startup Adds First-of-its-Kind Tipping Feature to Benefit Employees and Customers

Digital platform allows employers and customers to team-up on tipping to increase incentivization and rewards for exceptional service.

TYSONS, Va., May 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Béné Tipping, the premier digital tipping platform for hospitality service providers, announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind cashless tipping platform that allows employers and customers to team up on tipping. This unique feature fixes the broken tipping system and allows for increased incentivization and rewards for exceptional service.

Béné was selected to participate in The PenFed Foundation Veteran Entrepreneur Program Fall 2023 cohort. The program exclusively supports veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs building highly scalable startup companies — ranging from the idea stage through to Series A and beyond.

“The issue is that customers feel taken advantage of and perceive tipping as a way for employers to shift the burden of fair pay to the consumer,” said Béné CEO/Founder and U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran Mike Skvortsov. “On the other hand, when restaurants tried to go tipless by increasing base pay, both quality of service and guest satisfaction went down.”

Béné realigns interests of both employers and customers by allowing companies to match tips. When a company uses the Béné platform, the customer is made aware that their tip will be matched, creating a sense of partnership with the company in recognizing exceptional service. At the same time, when a customer leaves a tip, the service provider receives two notifications. One to let them know that they received a tip and then, moments later, another one to let them know that their employer matched the tip. This makes team members feel appreciated by their employer and allows employers to differentiate themselves from competitors during the hiring process, creates both an immediate sense of appreciation and motivation, as well as a longer-term impact on recruiting and retention.

A company can further increase the retention benefits of tip matching by choosing to ramp up its matching percentage based on length of service or other parameters, not unlike the 401(k) benefit that most employees are familiar with. Béné was first rolled out by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts across its properties in US and Canada.

“The beauty of this solution is its simplicity and how easy it is for our franchisees to allow their guests to make the switch from cash to digital,” said Scott Strickland, Wyndham’s Chief Technology Officer. “There’s no app to download and no software to install. It’s entirely web-based, which means so long as guests have a phone and an internet connection, they’re able to tip and show their appreciation” and has since been picked up across brands and industries. Unlike its competitors, Béné provides a freemium model, where smaller users, like coffee shops and nail salons, can use the platform at no cost, whereas larger enterprises can get the full array of benefits, including tip matching, with a monthly subscription fee.”

“It’s been a privilege to support Mike and Béné through our Veteran Entrepreneur Program,” said PenFed Foundation President Andrea McCarren. “As a veteran-led company leveraging technology solutions to provide customers, employers and team members with an exceptional experience, it is a prime example of the innovative startups we are proud to elevate.”

About Béné

Béné Tipping is the premier digital tipping platform for hospitality service providers, providing the apps and infrastructure for US & Global hotel groups. To learn more about Béné, visit Bénétipping.com.

About PenFed Foundation

Founded in 2001, The PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that supports veterans in their transition from service to success. Affiliated with PenFed Credit Union, the Foundation has provided more than $50 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members and military families. The credit union funds the Foundation’s personnel and most operational costs, allowing 99% of incoming donations to go directly to our programs. To learn more, please visit www.penfedfoundation.org.