That shit should be included in wages or reflected on the bill. That is why take out food is the way to go. Sorry Tatty. Gratuity being compulsory is just insulting.
No need to say sorry, big man. But look at the other side: I worked at a place where the dumb and unskilled bubble heads were allowed to auto-grat tables. They were shitty waitresses but still got teh moniez. Secondly, half the places you dig boozing at would be shuttered in weeks if the bossman had to pay more than 8 bucks an hour.
Anyhoo, this is a little off-topic. Debit is a pain in the ass. Cash is still king (for now). And i promise i won't spit in anything if you send it back...