I love that thread, but I didn't think this belonged in there. TBH I can kind of see my company's point. In the UK the tip is added when your bill is transacted on the card device - the bill is shown, then you're asked on the device if you won't to leave a tip which appears on the final card slip. This isn't a valid tax receipt but it does prove beyond a doubt what tip you have paid. The problems occur in places like Italy where a tip is expected but it can't be added to the bill or paid by CC, therefore no proof of tip, or in the US where a space is left to write in the tip on the merchant's and customer's receipt. There is no way to tell whether the person who paid the bill left the same tip to the server as they wrote in their copy of the bill. The company could ask for the CC slip in the latter case, but adding the service charge automatically to the tax receipt removes all doubt.

I was told one of those stories about a chap who we realised was screwing the expenses system in every way he could, and one of those ways was that he would always submit restaurant receipts with 18-20% tip. It turned out that he was either tipping badly or not tipping at all then claiming the full 20%. He was a fairly unpleasant guy so it didn't take much for him to realise that he could personally profit by, A, ordering an expensive meal, and B, stiffing the server on the tip.

All in all, having the service charge added makes my life easier, less time is wasted at HQ questioning tip claims and in general people are happier not having to have this to deal with so often.