Is it U to ask the local Chinese Takeaway for "tick"

[cheekyornot]

Local Chinese we've used for years (take away once every 2-3 months)
They recognise us when we go in and have our details on file (when we phone up they know it's us on their system)
They only take cash and have no card payments either in shop or over phone.
Dh stopped in tonight from work to pick up our takeaway that I'd phoned in earlier. Once he got there and went to the cash point next door and realised he had forgot his bank card and only had his credit card so would need to come home first to get a card.
I told him to pop in and ask if he could take the food and we'd drop off the money tomorrow. Obviously if they said no there would be no problem but considering they "know" us I couldn't see the harm in asking.
Dh, who is quite socially awkward, goes in a strop saying that's ridiculous and no way would they agree, you wouldn't try that at Tesco etc?
I agree you wouldn't do it at Tesco/McDonald's but feel this is different and think they would rather give regular customers hot food rather than them coming in half an hour later to pick up cold food?
In the end he withdrew money from his credit card which I think was stupid rather than asking them first if we could pop in tomorrow
I know this is boring first world problems but would you have asked in this case?

No, I wouldn't have done it either. DP is friends with a local takeaway owner and still wouldn't ask this if buying food there, it's a business at the end of the day. Doubtless if another customer overheard, they'd have an influx of people wanting to pay later.

No op, your husband is right, you don't pay today for food tomorrow.

I'm still surprised at how many people see this as a big NO, the food was already cooked.

Exactly. Also, the takeaway people could always say no - I'm sure they wouldn't have an attack of the MN vapours at being asked. Some of you don't seem to live in the real world the rest of us inhabit.

Absolutely agree!! The outrage is highly amusing

You can ask, they can say yes or no as they choose. Problem solved.

Me- they recognise us when we go in and have our details on file (when we phone up they know it's us on their system)

Mumsnet typical over exaggerator-
OP thinking the takeaway has her details filed under “VIP” because they go there now and again 😂😂

My family owns a Chinese takeaway. We could say no because of the fact people would overhear or hear about it on the grapevine and then they would be pissed off if we didn't do the same for them.

One of us would eat the food.

Any idea why some businesses refuse card payments of any type in a time that a lot of people don't carry cash? I was told by a friend that its either tax evasion or money laundering, anyone heard the same?

I don't think you give them enough business to make this an ok thing to ask.

2-3 times a week and I'd sort of get your point but every 2-3 months? Nah. Makes you a CF I'm afraid 😂

I would never do this, it wouldn't even occur to me.

Agree with dh 100%

Absolute brass neck to ask the takeaway for tick.

I don’t think it’s an outrageous request in itself - but I agree that a takeaway every 3 months doesn’t make you a ‘regular’ and I wouldn’t be surprised if the shop said no.

If I went somewhere really regularly - at least fortnightly - I would ask.

Or they don't want to pay a percentage of their sales to a credit card company.

No, I’d never do that. How embarrassing.

They are running a business and if they started giving away food on a promise then I’m sure they wouldn’t stay in business long. I would never put someone in an awkward position by asking something like that.

Our local newsagent has a tab for about 50 customers including myself but I definitely don't think a Chinese would start one up and it wasn't on tick was it, he was just popping back to get the card. How far is your house?

I find the kind of business happy to do this offers it, eg you go in to collect and realise you've forgotten your wallet, and they say "no matter, just pop it in tomorrow".

I think there's quite a big difference between asking and it being offered.

the food was already cooked.

I know he managed to pay in the end but could he have rung you and then you could have paid over the phone?

If not you say 'oh no, I've forgotten my card' I'll have to go home and get it.'

Four times a year is hardly a regular customer.

Also, these places have everyone who’s ever ordered by phone on file. We have a Chinese every few months, and our local has our name and number on their system.

They don’t know us from Adam!

So them ‘knowing you’ doesn’t mean they know you at all! A takeaway every 2-3 months does not a regular make!

If I was in every day, I would be cheeky enough to ask. In your situation, visiting 3-6 times a year, absolutely not. Beyond rude, it's a business not a food bank.

Could be tax evasion, could also be that they just don’t have a big enough profit margin to want to pay credit card fees.

Our local takeaway is the same, they have been in business for at least 20 years and have now joined Just Eat, but purchases in person are still cash only.

If it was somewhere I went more often, possibly but not somewhere I go 4-6 times a year

My local Chinese has a sign saying Please do not ask for credit as refusal will offend.
I have asked Tesco for credit though, as the petrol was already in the car before I realised no card. Left them my phone iirc as collateral.

In 2022 it costs between 3-37p per card transaction to pay by card on a system like Sum Up.
So I refuse to pay ‘cash only’ anymore as they’re just swindling HMRC… which in the end effects our NHS, schools, roads etc.
We need to make cash only payments socially unacceptable.
One of the ‘best in the UK’ fish and chip shops was cash only I went into last week, walked right out.

No. Not with a small business.

I asked once in Tesco (when I came to pay I didn't have my purse) and was staggered that they said no! I went there every week.