What is a polite way to open up a bar tab paying cash and refusing to leave a credit card?

annoymous0381 asked:


Last night me and some friends went to a karokee bar. I ordered two non-alchoholic pepsis, he ordered two bears. The bar wiatress asked my friend or I for a credit card to hold onto. My friend refused to hand over a credit card as did I. Both of us had plans to pay cash.

Due to identity theft both of us refuse to let our credit cards in the hands of a total stranger. Bar tenders loose credit cards, give credit cards to the wrong person and sometimes steal credit card numbers.

The only credit card my friend had with him was Discover. For me all I had was a discover credit card. The bar waitress said the credit card has to be a visa or mastercard. We both said all we have is cash and a Discover card.

If the bar did take Discover we still would have refused to hand over our cards when we are paying cash.

My friend offerred the bar waitress a $100 bill and she still asked for a credit card. Even though numerous times we explained that we are paying cash and don’t carry Visa or Mastercards.

Finally my friend handed the bar waitress $40 and that was that.

Many people don’t even have credit or debit cards? How are they supposed to go to a bar.

I called the manager and he told me that you can walk up to the bar and pay cash for each drink without leaving a credit card. The manager also told me that you can pay a bar waitress cash right up front for each drink if you don’t want to leave a credit card.

The manager told me their policy is new as of Jnauary 1st 2009. This bar has been around since 1971.

How should me or my friend handle this in the future if we want to go to a bar and not leave a credit card and pay cash.