The Common Credit Card Habit In The US That Sends European And Canadian Tourists Into A Small Panic

It's easy to feel out of your element when you travel. That doesn't just go for Americans visiting other countries. Tourists coming to visit the United States can feel a bit of culture shock as well. Canadians and Europeans have shared their favorite and worst parts of their American vacations in the past, but there is one common credit card habit that might send them into a small panic while stateside. The source of panic is something that happens in restaurants, when a server takes your credit card away to run it. In Europe and Canada, you're much more likely to have the server bring a credit machine directly to your table and either swipe it there, or have you tap to pay. Having your credit card out of your hands might be something we're used to here, but if you're not, and you're in another country, it makes sense to be wary.

On Threads in early 2025, someone posted a question to non-Americans about the "weirdest thing" they experienced in our country that Americans don't even notice. Several Canadians said that, while paying at the table is a newer phenomenon in their country, it's pretty widespread, and it was odd to have the card taken from them. In answer to a similar question on Reddit, one person said, "I'm Canadian and my mom and I went to Vegas and the same day we got there we went for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and the waitress took my mom's card from her, my mom thought we were getting robbed ... "

One reason it makes Canadians and Europeans nervous to have their credit cards out of their hands is that they fear it might be put through a skimmer, a device that steals your credit card number. It's something that is a pretty common scam at ATMs in Europe, where the swiping mechanism is replaced by a skimmer. So why is your card taken from you here in the States and not in Canada and Europe? When chip technology was introduced, America opted for a chip and signature system here, while those countries adopted a chip and PIN system. Plus, the devices can be pricey for restaurants to purchase. 

Of course, you may not be comfortable with a server asking you to pay right in front of them, because, as someone else pointed out in the discussion on Threads, it can make tipping really awkward. That's less of a concern in Europe because tipping culture isn't the same. A service fee is often put directly on the bill (and the added fee called a coperto in Italy, which covers things like bread, tableware, and linens), so while you may leave a few euros on the table after the meal, it's not expected in the same way it is here in America. Some restaurants that do use a handheld payment device in the U.S. may have a button with percentages on there, however, the same way they do at many counters here. Hey, at least we're not still dealing with '80s manual machines that made a carbon copy of your credit card – as well as your name and the card numbers — that you left with the clerk.