Update: California Fish Grill has let us know that they have tweaked their menu options. Their note is included at the bottom of this article.

Today’s story will be of special interest to people who have some of the most difficult and often highly frustrating jobs — restaurant servers.

When a customer orders “fish and chips,” what should be on the plate?

The answer for most people: enticing pieces of battered fish filets and French fries, right?

Well, one seafood chain restaurant is defying expectations — and not in a good way.

Imagine you have years of experience in hospitality, and this is your first day at a restaurant that specializes in seafood dishes. You were warned by coworkers that how one item on the menu is served has angered guests because, by default, it does not come the way most customers would anticipate.

When ordered at the counter, it does not automatically come with fries, your coworker says. The menu — posted on a wall — says ‘Fish and Chips,’ but it fails to state that unless fries are selected as a side (at no extra cost), it will be served without them.”

A call from upset customers

On a recent Sunday afternoon, a few of my older readers who had just left a Southern California location of this “sustainable seafood” restaurant called me. “Several of us ordered fish and chips, with vegetable sides,” one said, on speaker, “and we wound up feeling like we’d been victims of misrepresentation.

“No one had ever heard of fish and chips being served without fries, but that is what we got. Our embarrassed server admitted this creates a great deal of confusion and upsets customers.”

Another said, “This is like ordering spaghetti and meatballs, bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, peanut butter and jelly or any recognized dish that has two or more components, but you get only half of it.”

I called several locations to confirm this

After I did some online research, it was clear this was not a unique situation. To confirm it was a widespread practice, I phoned several California Fish Grill locations around the country and asked, “When I order fish and chips at the counter, what does it come with?”

Answers varied, including:

• “Unless you specify fries from a choice of sides, you won’t get them.”

• “Your fish will be on a bed of salad.”

• “The fish will be on a bed of fries.”

• “You’ll get just fish by itself if you do not select a side.”

“OK,” I said each time, “how do I know that I have to select fries from the sides (in order to get the chips part of the meal)?”

The answer: You won’t unless you’re told, and you might not be informed.

Interestingly, one highly insightful employee said, “You sound like a reporter or a lawyer. If you are, may I call you back?”

I agreed, and he did return my call, at which time he raised other aspects of this craziness. (He requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.)

“Being a server is tough enough without the employer creating a situation where unhappy customers yell at you,” he said. “I am attending law school and wonder if they have ever heard of a toxic workplace suit or a class action, because that is what they are risking.”

He is correct.

The company’s response

I phoned California Fish Grill’s Southern California headquarters and was referred to a very friendly employee in the marketing department who asked that her name not be used, and I always respect such requests.

“Fries automatically come with the child’s plate,” she pointed out. “Guests may select (fries) from a list of sides, and if you place your order from a kiosk, then automatically (the fish and chips) come with fries.”

Somewhat mixed messages, right? And this practice doesn’t take into account research showing that younger customers are more apt to use kiosks to order food, while older people in general say they feel rushed or confused while using a kiosk and prefer human contact.

She had no explanation for why fries were not automatically part of every fish-and-chips order. She said “someone higher up” in the restaurant chain would call me. I am still waiting.

Would this be a violation of truth-in-menu laws?

I ran my reader’s situation by Minneapolis business attorney Aaron Hall, who has written extensively about truth-in-menu laws. His first response was, “Dennis, are you kidding me? Is this for real? No way!

“Truth-in-menu laws are intended to prevent deceptive marketing, protect consumers from fraud and promote fair competition within the food industry,” he underscored. “Violations can result in fines, business penalties and reputational harm.

“Restaurants are required to serve what is listed on the menu. Items that have two or more components — such as fish and chips, spaghetti and meatballs, biscuits and gravy — must contain the stated components.

“A restaurant whose menu lists fish and chips, but when served, by default, comes without the French fries unless a customer specifically orders them would be deceptive and subject to civil lawsuits and potential criminal penalties, depending upon the jurisdiction.”

Stephen Barth, attorney and professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston, had a two-word reply to my question: “How would you describe this nonsense?”

“Rather deceptive,” he said.

A class-action superior court judge’s opinion

A longtime friend of this column, California Superior Court judge “Tony,” who has presided over class-action lawsuits, commented, “Not only misleading, (but it) could amount to false advertising and also would be considered as unfair competition. If the economics worked out, we could be looking at a class action. This is an insult to customers.”

Finally, one comment sums up this craziness, from Las Vegas-based Eric Barth (Stephen’s brother), who designs restaurants and food halls. “I don’t understand what they are accomplishing by this. The confusion alone when guests are served probably makes the service team and management crazy. Sometimes people in my business never fail to amaze me.”

What you can do if you encounter an issue like this

If you are missing an item from a restaurant meal that you feel should have been included (such as the “chips” portion of “fish and chips,” here’s what you can do:

• First, don’t take out your frustration on the servers. They only work there.

• Do not eat the food until the issue is addressed. If the server claims the item is an extra charge, politely point out that it is shown on the menu, which implies its inclusion. A reputable restaurant should provide it at no extra cost to maintain good customer relations.

• If the server insists on charging extra, ask to speak with the manager or owner. Most will try to resolve the issue to ensure customer satisfaction and avoid negative reviews or complaints about false advertising.

• You are not obligated to pay for an order that was not as described or to which you did not agree. A reasonable approach is to pay for what you did consume and deduct the price of what was missing.

After all of this, I feel it’s important to point out that California Fish Grill has earned the praise many customers give it. Aside from this fish-and-chips controversy, the restaurant’s food is excellent. In fact, it has become part of our weekend routine: California Fish Grill for lunch, followed by a visit to Aldi.

Let’s just hope that management wakes up before local district attorneys and state attorneys general wake them up.

The California Fish Grill team responds:

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Our goal is to always provide as many choices as we can for our guests, but it appears that with our Fish and Chips, our customization options have inadvertently caused some confusion.

“We really want to clear this up, just like our Grilled Plates & Taco Combos, our Fish and Chips have always been offered with two sides. Our Fish and Chips have historically been offered with French fries and kaleslaw, but both sides can be swapped out for other choices if a guest chooses to do so.

“As mentioned, we can see how this can be misinterpreted, so we’re making a few simple changes. Our Fish and Chips now come standard with French fries and a choice of one additional side. As you point out, you expect Fish and Chips to have French fries, so this option will not be modifiable.

“If a guest is not a fan of French fries, they can order a soon-to-be-offered “Battered Fish” dish where they are able to choose any two sides so that everyone can make their meal exactly how they want.

“We hope this will bring clarity, while still allowing our guests the flexibility and options they love.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Fish and Chips? More Like Fish and a Side of Customer Confusion and Anger appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

As you read today’s article, imagine yourself in the shoes of my reader, Dr. Tom, who, like millions of us, has seen customer service vanish at just about every large bank in the country.

We begin with a question: When was the last time that you turned on the evening news and did not see a story about the problem of dangerous narcotics? Now, for a moment, imagine, instead of a warning not to use drugs, you see a commercial encouraging their use.

“Not happening,” you’re thinking. But that is exactly what we all are exposed to when we are urged to use powerful drugs that can ruin families if they’re not managed properly — credit cards.

Many of us have received a preapproved credit card in the mail with literature that says, “To activate, make a purchase of up to X dollars.”

Credit card issuers want us to take vacations we can’t afford and buy things we do not need and cannot pay for with cash.

And, ironically, the more credit card debt we have, the easier it is sometimes to get more credit cards.

Planning a trip and responded to a promotion

But what if you have no credit card debt? Perhaps you pay off monthly charges in full and have no other debt because long ago you said “no!” to taking on debt of any kind?

Dr. Tom has lived within his means and stays out of debt. Through no fault of his own, he created a problem for himself.

“Our family was planning a trip to England and Italy,” wrote retired West Coast dentist Dr. Tom in his email to me. “For over 30 years, I have had a credit card with a big bank and pay all charges in full every month. I applied for their airline-branded card that advertises 75,000 miles for signing up — that I could use for airfare — but was turned down!”

No credit history with the reporting bureaus

He related how he spoke with a customer service rep, who had his payment history on her computer screen but told him the credit bureaus had no record of him or his payments to the credit card company. “‘That’s why you were declined,’” he said she told him.

He escalated the issue to a supervisor and said, “Just look at my 30 years with you. I’ve never been late. You can see that. Besides, you could have reported my payment activity all these years to the credit bureaus, but obviously you didn’t. Come on, someone has to have an ounce of common sense. Please speak with the department that issues the airlines card, explain the mistake and send me the card.”

Dr. Tom took this as high as he could but was turned down each time. He concluded, “Nobody cares. Common sense is not a job requirement at this bank.”

A solution but not at all timely

But it was not over, not yet, because after receiving his email, I got him on the line and called the unit of the bank that handles customer complaints at the highest level and explained the problem. The customer service rep asked Dr. Tom, “Why don’t you have more credit?”

Translation: We can’t make money off of you with interest charges because you pay in full, so why should I help you?

However, he finally agreed to send Dr. Tom’s payment history to Experian. “They will send his credit rating back to us, which will allow us to issue the new credit card, but it will take a month or so.”

“A month or so?” I blurted. “Are you kidding? His European trip is in three weeks. You have the ability to pick up the phone, call your department that issues the airlines cards and tell them that Dr. Tom has a perfect payment history and to send him a new card. Come on, he is a 30-year customer. Do the right thing — fix the problem you guys created by not reporting his payment history to Experian.”

And then, exhibiting his utmost concern for the bank’s loyal customer, the customer service rep hung up.

When faced with arrogant, uncaring people who refuse to act reasonably and solve a problem their organization created, my next step is to contact their media department, because those are the people who can pull strings.

Please help my reader, your longtime customer

In early March, I emailed the media contact at the bank, summarized Dr. Tom’s situation, gave the names of the bank employees we had spoken with and concluded by saying: “Dr. Tom needs someone with common sense to speak with the issuing department and tell them, ‘Look at his history with us. He has been a good customer. Please give him that card in time to use it on the family’s trip to Europe.’”

A week later, Dr. Tom’s new credit card arrived in the mail.

The moral to this story: While most credit card companies report their customers’ payment histories to the credit bureaus, they are not legally required to do so.

How can you check to make sure your payment history is being fairly reported? You can get free copies of your credit reports from all three credit-reporting bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) by going to AnnualCreditReport.com.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Here’s When a Lack of Credit Card Debt Can Cause You Problems appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

July 20, 2026  • By Dennis Beaver

One of the ways credit card companies, airlines and other businesses build loyalty and keep us coming back is through rewards points that can be applied to future purchases.

The terms and conditions for these loyalty points tend to be multiple pages, highly confusing and often disguise nasty surprises in language that even lawyers have difficulty making sense of. Several have been criticized as being unfair and little more than a bait-and-switch.

But what one company did to the widow of a loyal customer highlights a lack of care, compassion and common sense that others can learn from. We’re not naming the company, as the situation could very well have been an outlier, but it’s a useful lesson for management in what not to do.

An escape from the world of chronic kidney disease

Reader “Anna” described the love “Dallas” had for this particular company’s products, starting when he was a child. “He loved (them) even more after we got married. Born with failing kidneys, he found it a helpful activity when he was undergoing dialysis treatments.”

Anna said he spent his many loyalty points on products that made him so happy, and toward the final stages of his illness, they worked together on a project that would be the last one they finished together, right before he died.

“Today, I look at it with so much love. We knew each other since college and were married only three years. It was an honor being his wife.”

What happened to his loyalty points?

Anna knew his loyalty points account number and tried to use the points that remained to buy a gift for her father-in-law, but the company refused the transaction, saying, “Points expire after 18 months, and we sent (the account owner) notice of the impending loss.”

They did, indeed, send that notice to his email, after he died. “Due to his illness, I handled all of our financial affairs and never went into his email account,” she explained.

She sent a polite email to customer service, explaining that her husband had died and that, given he was a lifelong loyalty club member, would the company please reconsider and allow her to use his remaining points. On its website, the company acknowledges that it will waive the expiration period with good cause.

Anyone with compassion would consider Anna’s situation “good cause.”

A cold and heartless response

Company representative “Pamela” emailed Anna: “Very sorry to hear of the loss of your husband, but we cannot take any actions on the account except on behalf of the account owner.”

A friend of Anna referred her to me, and when I read that, I wondered what insensitive, heartless idiot would tell a widow that the company could deal only with her deceased husband? These are the types of blatant unfairness that motivate me.

I regularly reach out to the media contact personnel at large companies and ask them to please look into an issue. Now, suppose that you were the person I contacted about Anna’s situation. Wouldn’t you fact-check first, and then, knowing that expired points can be restored, wouldn’t you do that for Anna? Of course you would.

But not this company’s media rep. “Wendall” referred the matter to “Charles,” in his department, who called me. We both looked at Dallas’ obituary online, but instead of saying, “Sure, we need to make this right,” Charles did the bureaucratic thing and sent the matter back to customer service.

Days went by, proving that Pamela, Wendall and Charles had to have been standing behind the door the day common sense was handed out.

Finally, Anna received an email — not a phone call, because clearly, these three people have a problem with kind human interaction — from “Bill” in customer service stating that she would receive a gift card for the value of her husband’s points. A week later, it arrived. So at least they did that part right.

A business professor looks at the situation

I ran this by Lyle Sussman, professor emeritus in the College of Business at the University of Louisville and a friend of this column for many years. “Beav, this reminded me of my favorite example of customer service from hell. A few years ago, a bank manager required a thumbprint from a customer without arms.”

“Requiring authorization from a dead person is like requesting a thumbprint from someone who has no hands. It’s also the kind of Kafkaesque SOP (standard operating procedure) that sets the stage for social media backlash and a column by Dennis Beaver.

“This issue is a classic example of rigid SOP constraining common sense in customer service. The fact that a customer service manager finally did the right thing is a testament to someone in the chain of command saying something like, ‘Enough’s enough. Let’s stop being stupid!'”

With some loyalty programs, there are ways to prolong the life of your reward points. I’ll explain how to do this in a future story and show why companies just can’t wait for customers to forfeit their rewards.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Loyalty Points and a Widow’s Interaction with Customer Service: What Happens When a Company Forgets the Human Behind the Account appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

“Mr. Beaver, something we all take for granted,” wrote “Neal,” a manager for a large supermarket in Atlanta, “is paying for our groceries and receiving change.

“The cashier’s role in these transactions is important, so to be sure that customers receive all their change, training manuals for new, inexperienced hires instruct” that they count back change aloud and, if coins are dispensed automatically, indicate that so the coins are not forgotten.

Of course, you don’t need a legal education to know that the cashier has to make sure the customer is at least given the opportunity to take their change, bills and coins.

But what if a customer forgets to take all their change? If another customer doesn’t take it, what should the store do with the money?

A kind store manager

Neal then shared the following incident, which began in the parking lot while he was tending to carts. A mom waiting in the car with an infant had given “Kitty,” a little girl of about 11, a shopping list and money.

“With a big smile, the girl returned with her purchases and the receipt, but no change,” Neal wrote. “She should have had 75 cents and told her mother, ‘I forgot to take it.’ Mom sent her back, but the checkout line was closed, and her money was gone. Kitty returned to the car in tears.”

Neal noted that it appeared to him that the family needed that change. So he approached the woman and said, “‘Please, all of you, follow me inside.'” He led them to the checkout counter, which was now closed.

An employee reported that, yes, 75 cents had been forgotten, and she had looked for the little girl but could not find her. So she’d placed the money in a donation box at the register, which now contained only three quarters.

“I handed them to Kitty,” Neal wrote.

But that wasn’t all he did. He next instructed the store’s assistant manager to escort the woman and her children through the aisles so they could fill a grocery basket with “whatever they needed.”

“Mr. Beaver, among the employees who were present, there wasn’t a dry eye. With food prices so high, I felt — and our management agrees — that we need to help those in need.”

How does forgotten customer change impact the supermarket?

Neal outlined the consequences of forgotten change to the supermarket, which might be surprising for some readers. “It is a time-consuming headache that can have serious consequences, such as employee termination for repeated incidents of failing to draw the customer’s attention to their change.”

Specifically, forgotten change can:

Lead to a cash drawer imbalance. At the end of a shift, if forgotten change is still in the cash register, it will cause the cashier’s drawer to be over what the register reports. While it may be an honest mistake, it still counts as a discrepancy that reflects poorly on the cashier’s performance.

Draw theft suspicion. Frequent overages or shortages in a cashier’s drawer can raise suspicion of theft or poor cash-handling abilities. Management receives special training in spotting patterns of discrepancies that may be a red flag for misconduct.

Cause embarrassment for customers. Having to return to the store for forgotten money can be embarrassing. The inconvenience also reflects poorly on the checkout experience, discouraging repeat business, especially if the money has been taken by someone else.

Trigger complaints and even small claims court lawsuits. On occasion, customers will file complaints with management or even in small claims court, usually over claims of several dollars not being returned.

Some of these situations are legit, but just as most stores would rather let a shoplifter walk away instead of arresting them, far too many just pay off an obvious con to save time and court costs.

‘Finders keepers, losers weepers’ doesn’t come into play

Surprisingly, over the years, when recognized while checking out at a supermarket near our home, I have been asked by cashiers, “I know that I am supposed to give forgotten money to the store manager, but what happens if I keep it? Doesn’t the law of ‘finders keepers, losers weepers’ apply to forgotten change?”

I always reply, “‘Finders keepers, losers weepers’ is not a valid legal principle for forgotten change — that includes left-behind debit and credit cards — in any state. Management has the obligation to try to return it to the owner, if that person can be located without an enormous investment of time. Often, if there is no idea who left the change behind, small amounts will simply be donated.

Caveat: Lost, forgotten or unclaimed property raises complicated legal issues that I’ll discuss in a later story ­— I promise!

And then I add, “So, if you value your job and do not want to spend some real change on hiring me to defend you for theft — because it is considered theft if you take money without trying to return it to the owner or turning it in to the store or police — here’s my business card in case you have further questions.

“I would prefer to see you working here, not sitting in the county jail.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post The Unsung Hero of Aisle 5: A Tale of Forgotten Change and Compassion at the Supermarket appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

Today’s article was prompted by the chief human resources officer (CHRO) at a Texas-based agricultural sales company wanting to discuss a topic that she feels would be valuable for college students, recent graduates and new hires.

“I have been in HR for over 30 years at a company that places high value on a supportive, positive work environment. Never have I seen so many recent hires let go — some within a week! I am speaking of Gen Z, born from 1997 through 2012.

“Over and over again, we find some of them completely unprepared for actual employment and lacking fundamental social skills or anything resembling a work ethic.

“In contrast to other generations, some in Gen Z have enormous deficits in their interpersonal skills. When it comes to showing appreciation — just saying ‘thank you’ — for help given to them by coworkers and supervisors, some reek of entitlement, have a lack of civility and say nothing.

“We offer summer internships for agricultural business majors and send students around the country — even abroad — for hands-on experiences. Seldom do any send a thank-you card, in our experience, or even call to express appreciation.

“In part, I blame their universities for not requiring students to take the time to show gratitude. This ghosting is an insult.

“Something’s wrong. Perhaps some of the people you’ve interviewed over the years might have an explanation and insight for us. Thanks, ‘Dallas’ from Dallas.”

Dallas’ comments about Gen Z are not new. A Cake.com study, Gen Z in the Workforce, reveals that 40% of leaders feel that some in Gen Z are not prepared for work. Seventy percent of managers said they feel Gen Z lacks communication skills and a work ethic.

Yet, in an NSHSS Career Interest report, 65% of Gen Zers “acknowledge they will have a lot to learn, and they’re eager to do so.”

I ran Dallas’ comments by two business professors and friends of this column — Lyle Sussman, professor emeritus in the College of Business at the University of Louisville, and David D. Schein, professor in the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas-Houston. Here is their analysis, which I have paraphrased.

Our world of digital communication leads to a lack of interpersonal skills

Generation Z, unlike Baby Boomers, grew up with a remote control in their hand, never having to get up and manually change the channel on the TV. You just push a button, and there it is! This, among other things, has no doubt contributed to a sense of entitlement in some individuals that Boomers didn’t experience.

Some Gen Z college students lack interpersonal skills in part because of a reliance on digital communication, which greatly reduces personal interaction and inhibits the learning of social cues, which can result in psychological immaturity.

In the working world, we expect civility and gratitude. An environment that lacks those elements can become toxic, impacting relationships with co-workers, vendors, investors and customers. People lose their jobs or quit. Employment litigation costs are impacted.

The professors commented that it all begins at home and wondered whether some children are actually taught manners these days.

Employees lacking essential social skills will not last long

It is fundamental — and common sense — to thank a colleague when, for example, a new hire in a sales organization is given a lead that becomes a sale. Failing to do so is a slap in the face to the colleague, which implies, “Why should I thank you? That’s part of your job!”

Employees who lack such obligatory social skills damage morale and will not last long.

The key question today is, “What do we do with these young adults? How do we get them to understand the importance of what we are discussing? What can be done for an 18-year-old who grew up never hearing the words ‘please’ or ‘thank you,’ who had a remote control, cell phone and computer, all contributing to a sense of entitlement?”

Most likely, that person will have to learn the life lessons of being denied employment or not getting the promotion and, at some point, realize that they are the agent of their own fate, that their lack of being kind and considerate of the feelings of others is a form of self-sabotage.

Good manners are noticed, Sussman said. “When we see students interact in a mature way that exhibits good manners, as it is so rare, we think, ‘That’s a future successful person — a good boss or a competent, respected professional.”

Another issue is that too many business students do not watch or read the news. “They need to know what is happening both on Wall Street and Main Street. By spending five or ten minutes a day with the news, they will be the person who stands out at a job interview,” Schein suggested.

Filling in the gaps with etiquette coaches

Today, major corporations are employing etiquette coaches, who, during the onboarding process, advise new hires on how to diplomatically interact with colleagues and others. Being taught these principles from day one helps new employees see how positive interactions with coworkers and customers are essential to the company’s culture.

They are shown how to smile while communicating, make eye contact, say “please” and “thank you.” They’re counseled on how to show empathy, to be human beings who are able to show concern for others.

Both Sussman and Schein concluded our interview by suggesting a return to the way children were raised in the past.

“Somehow,” Schein said, “families need to take a few steps back to the time when children were taught manners, could give good eye contact and truly listened instead of merely hearing.”

What you can do

If you find yourself in a situation in which a colleague, Gen Z or otherwise, did not respond to you appropriately, Sussman recommends:

• Schedule a face-to-face, private meeting with your coworker.

• Assertively, not aggressively, describe what they said or did (offense by commission) or failed to say or do (error by omission).

• Highlight why that was unacceptable.

• Obtain a commitment that the specific offense will not be repeated and that they can and should do better.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Want to Advance on the Job? Showing Some Courtesy and Appreciation Could Help appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

When was the last time that you were paying for your groceries or other items, and the cashier asked, “Would you like to round up your total for charity?” Perhaps they didn’t tell you which charity. Or maybe they simply asked, “Would you like to round it up?”

That’s what “Sylvia” and her mother encountered at a home decor chain store that sells bedding, kitchenware and holiday goods.

“After all of our items were rung up, my mom paid in cash, and then the cashier said, ‘Would you like to round it up?’ Mom said, ‘Sure, no worry. There is a shortage of pennies. That’s fine. We don’t need them.'”

“At home, we were reviewing the receipt and saw that the last entry was a 32-cent payment to St. Jude (Children’s Research Hospital). Totally unexpected! We had made a charitable donation without realizing it.

“We don’t object to the donation, but we feel we were misled because we weren’t informed where our money would go and therefore didn’t give our consent.

“I think this is something you might look into, Mr. Beaver. How widespread a practice is this?”

They were indeed misled

Sylvia is right. They were misled, and with Sylvia on the line, I confirmed it by speaking with the on-duty manager at the store, asking her, “Do you have a charity campaign for St. Jude?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Do your cashiers tell customers that ’rounding up’ their total means that their change goes to St. Jude? Or do they just say, ‘Would you like to round it up?'”

She refused to answer but insisted that Sylvia tell her who the cashier was. “Give me the register number on the receipt.”

I repeated my question, which she still didn’t answer. I took her refusal as an admission that, yes, cashiers ask customers if they want to round up their total without letting them know where their money will go.

Of course, who can forget the past few years of constantly being bombarded with “Would you like to give a dollar to XYZ organization?”

But we don’t hear that much anymore, because “checkout charity” has been replaced with the “round it up” verbiage.

Perfect example of impulse giving

America is a generous nation. If you look at the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index, the United States ranks near the top of countries whose citizens are among the most generous on the planet.

Now, there is giving when you know where your gift is going and you want to donate, but snookering us to give even a few cents to an unidentified cause is more than not acceptable. It is generally considered illegal to solicit charitable donations without revealing the name of the charity and the purpose for which the funds are being raised.

Both federal and state laws require transparency in charitable solicitations to protect the public from fraud.

And when it happens at the checkout counter, the customer has only seconds to decide.

In any other business or commercial setting, we would say, “Wait a minute, I have some questions.”

But when people waiting behind us in line are close enough to hear our conversation with the cashier, the result is pressure — you are being pressured to give your money (i.e., make a buying decision with no time to think it over) to an organization that might not have been identified.

After asking if you’d like to donate, the cashier should say, “And your donation goes to XYZ.”

But that’s not always so, according to the 2025 Charity Checkout Champions Report by Engage for Good and presented by Adyen, which analyzed 92 point-of-sale (POS) fundraising campaigns that raised over $275 million in 2024. The report found that only 74% of the campaigns clearly identified the benefiting charity.

I spoke to an executive of one of the North American companies that helps businesses collect donations for charities at checkout. He asked that he and his employer not be identified because the information he shared with me is more frank than his employer would prefer. Once I promised not to share his identity, he was quick to admit:

“We show cashiers how to seize on a customer’s psychologically weak moment, when their donation could be going to a group they might not approve of and would never give their money to.

“But impulse giving is huge in the charity business, and so your very presence in the checkout line lends itself to being pressured into making a split-second decision for an altruistic reason.

“Unless full disclosure is made about the recipient of the donation, this is highly unethical, but (businesses get) away with it all the time.”

Findings on impulse giving

Fifty-three percent of Americans donate impulsively at the checkout counter, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Binghamton University researchers. They found:

• Impulse giving is often driven by social pressure, emotional appeal and the ease of the transaction.

• The donation request is embedded in a moment of financial exchange, making it feel like a small, convenient act of generosity.

• Many consumers report feeling guilty or obligated when prompted, especially in face-to-face retail settings.

• Younger customers are more likely to give impulsively than older people.

What businesses should do

The executive I spoke with offered these suggestions to help retailers that adopt checkout-charity programs do everything correctly and steer clear of trouble:

1. Name and describe the charitable organization.

• The name and purpose of the charity should be clearly displayed at the checkout

• You should verify that it is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

2. Provide an explanation for how customers’ funds will be used.

• Include administrative or processing fees

• Break down how much goes directly to the cause

3. Ensure funds are given voluntarily and that informed consent is obtained.

• Your workers should make it clear that the donation is optional

• Customers should be told that they can decline

• Your workers should not use language that invokes pressure or guilt

The executive concluded our interview with these cautionary words for retail businesses: “Checkout charity is highly effective, and at the same time, we are hearing more and more objections to the pressure to donate. My fear is this has the potential to backfire one day.”

All that said, checkout charity isn’t a bad thing when it’s done right. According to a Charity Watch blog, checkout donations allow charities, especially smaller ones, to raise significant amounts of money from a much larger pool of donors than they could normally reach. And because the process is part of a transaction that’s already being conducted, the fundraising expenses are much lower.

So the bottom line here is that shoppers should make sure that they are aware of what they’re donating to before they hand over even a small donation at the checkout. Here’s what you can do if you encounter a request to round up your total:

• If the cashier isn’t clear about what the money will be used for, ask.

• Don’t hesitate to ask further questions about the charity. Maybe it’s one you’d be happy to support.

• If you’re not interested or feel there isn’t enough information available, simply and politely say, “No, thank you” or “Not today.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

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