Tim Hortons Customer Slams Chain for Automatically Adding Donation to Order Without Asking

In a scene that looked like it was ripped straight out of South Park, a Tim Hortons customer slammed the chain in a viral post they uploaded to Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating sub.

Their upload was a simple one: a solitary picture of a regular-looking receipt that sparked outrage. That's because the Reddit user/coffee shop patron in question, @nicklebacks_revenge, pointed out a peculiar detail on this receipt.

If one takes a gander at the list of charges it seems innocuous enough: they purchased a single, Large iced latte for $3.99, which came with a .50 cent upcharge as they requested oat milk in their iced latte.

The receipt also indicates that no cane sugar syrup was added to the beverage, the patron earned a single point for shopping there that day, and that they donated 3 cents to something called Tins Camps.

Trouble is, @nicklebacks_revenge says, is that they never authorized the roundup.

According to the Redditor, their ire didn't have to do with the amount of money that the Tim Hortons location charged them, it's the fact that they did so without getting their authorization to do so: "I can afford 3 cents but since when is it ok just to add on any amount for a donation"

Some folks questioned the validity of the donations that many businesses secure from customers at dining establishments, like this one user who wrote: "I can afford 3 cents but since when is it ok just to add on any amount for a donation"

Checkout donations are apparently a big source of commerce in the United States: apparently in 2022 alone, a number of charities enjoyed a whopping $749 million in aggregate donations just from folks deciding to spare a few extra dollars while they were at the checkout counter.

According to interviews highlighted by charity watchdogs Tampa Bay Times, however, folks should double check to see that the donations they're making while they shop are to well-known and reputable organizations. Even better, these analysts state, is to donate directly to said organization's website.

A growing social ennui with requests for donations at checkout, in addition to gratuities to be tacked onto people bills, are purportedly wearing on consumers according to The Wall Street Journal.

Another Redditor on the r/unpopularopinion sub launched into a diatribe of their own against being constantly hounded for donations. User @AngryWookie69 penned in their post that they were: "sick and tired of being asked to give donations at check out"

They added: "They have me feeling like Randy Marsh from South Park any time I say no, like I'm actively taking food out of a childs mouth. Then if you do donate sometimes they ring a bell or make some sort of big deal about it. Why would I donate and draw that much attention to myself? No thanks"

However, it seems like the OG Redditor's anger over the "automatic tip" may have been premature, as there was one user on the platform who speculated that a particular setting in their Tim Hortons app may've been the culprit: a setting that sets payments made in the application to automatically round up to donations.

"Did you have the rounding up toggled on in the Tim Hortons app? Check your settings," they asked.

Sure enough, they checked their Tim Hortons application and there it was: "I checked and yes it was turned on. I didn't even know it existed so I still feel it's shady. They've likely been taking a few cents every order for who knows how long. Plus I've dropped change into their counter box for donation. I turned off the setting. I donate not every purchase"