IHG Hotels & Resorts teams up with TipBrightly for better digital tipping in North America

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

TipBrightly, a trailblazer in digital cashless tipping, has been designated as an approved vendor by IHG Hotels & Resorts.

This partnership opens the doors for TipBrightly’s digital tipping service to potentially reach thousands of properties across North America. As the hotel industry grapples with the unintended consequences of a cashless society on staff—such as reduced tips from patrons who prefer digital payment methods like phones or credit cards—IHG is taking proactive steps to benefit its employees and hotel guests. Workers such as housekeepers and valets rely on tips to supplement their income, while guests often feel a sense of obligation to leave gratuities.

Driven by her upbringing and inspired by her mother, who worked as a housekeeper, Founder and CEO Elle Rustique, PhD, understands firsthand the significance of tips, particularly for women. Rustique’s childhood memories of her mother celebrating big tips by treating her and her siblings to meals at McDonald’s fueled her desire to support women like her mother, who selflessly used their hard-earned tips to provide for their families.

The female-led startup devised TipBrightly not only to address the challenge of guests not carrying cash but also to boost employee earnings and morale amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. With no need for guests to download an app, TipBrightly enables hotel patrons to conveniently use their mobile phones to scan a QR code placed in their rooms to leave a tip.

Research has established that consumers will tip more digitally, than with cash. TipBrightly’s Rustique explains, “It’s no longer surprising to see $50, $100, $200 tips. The average tip is up to five times greater since TipBrightly launched. Our customers have reported employees earning $1 more per hour,” said Elle Rustique.

One of the hurdles in transitioning to digital tipping is ensuring that guests are aware of the alternative method. While digital tipping streamlines the process, the landscape has been muddled by various tipping options presented through point-of-sale (POS) systems, often inappropriately. In 2023, TipBrightly collaborated with IHG’s Kimpton’s Design Studio to develop master branded signage for each of Kimpton’s distinctive properties, aiming to alleviate this confusion and streamline the tipping process for guests.

“The future is indeed brighter for hotel workers,” said CEO Rustique, adding that TipBrightly is on track to reach $1 million dollars with 100,000 tips and a presence in every U.S. state by the end of the year.

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