Grateful

Overview

Grateful combines pooled-tip administration with direct tipping, making it a more specialised choice than a standalone way to divide tips. Operators can set allocation rules once and apply them automatically across shifts and team members. For groups, different venues can retain their own rules while managers oversee them centrally through one dashboard.

Independent troncmaster oversight is intended to help schemes operate in line with HMRC requirements. Employees can see their tronc earnings and how distributions were calculated in the app, but they cannot see Peer to Peer earnings on the platform. That distinction matters for businesses that want staff to have a single view of all tip income.

Key features

Allocation, oversight and payroll

Custom pool rules and shift-level records give operators a structured way to apply distributions across teams and venues. Automation can reduce repeated allocation work, while independent oversight is relevant to businesses that want support in operating a compliant tronc scheme. Payroll data flows through API integrations including Xero, Sage and Fourth; the wider integrations and partnerships include POS and workforce platforms such as 3SPOS, Deputy, Toast and workforce.com.

Employee access to earnings breakdowns gives staff a way to understand tronc distributions rather than just see a total. The Peer to Peer visibility limit, however, means that view is not complete for every kind of earnings on the platform.

Direct tipping and STASH

Customers can send tips directly to workers’ accounts in seconds, without cash or business administration. The transaction fee is charged to the customer, with no cost to the business, no setup costs or contracts, and recipients receive 100% of the tip instantly. This separates direct tipping from tronc service pricing, but the customer-paid fee may be a consideration at the point of tipping.

STASH, included at no additional cost with every Grateful customer, automatically splits tips or tronc payments between spending and an FSCS-protected savings account. It requires no extra app or manual transfers, making it a useful add-on for employees who want to save some earnings automatically.

Pricing

Grateful is a paid service with custom pricing for tronc and compliance. The STASH plan costs 0.00 USD per free and is included as standard with every Grateful customer; it provides automatic savings from tips or tronc payments. This is an included benefit, not a standalone substitute for the paid service.

Tronc & Compliance has custom pricing: the amount depends on which part of Grateful a business uses, and operators need to get a quote. It includes multi-site management, independent troncmaster oversight and payroll integrations. This plan is the relevant choice for businesses seeking tronc administration and compliance support, but the quote-based terms make budget comparison less straightforward than a published rate.

Direct Tipping has no setup costs or contracts and carries no business cost; a small incremental fee per transaction is charged to the customer. Recipients receive the full tip instantly. Operators seeking only direct tips may find this clearer than the compliance service, though customers bear the transaction fee.

Platforms

Grateful is available on Android and the web. The employee app supports access to tronc earnings and calculation breakdowns. Support is available through Messenger, email and telephone. Grateful says it uses technical and organisational security measures and staff data-protection training, and Grtfl Limited is registered with the UK ICO.

Who it's for

Grateful is a strong fit for hospitality businesses that need automated allocation by shift, custom pool rules, central oversight across multiple venues or payroll connections to Xero, Sage or Fourth. Direct tipping and included STASH extend its usefulness to operators who also want a cash-free way for customers to tip and an automatic savings option for workers.

It is less suitable for a business that requires staff to see Peer to Peer earnings in the platform, or for buyers who need a published compliance price before engaging with a provider. A single-venue operation with no tronc or direct-tipping requirement may not need this breadth.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Allocation rules apply automatically across shifts, teams and sites, reducing recurring distribution work.
• Pros: Independent troncmaster oversight and payroll APIs support operators managing tronc administration alongside payroll processes.
• Pros: Direct tips reach recipients instantly in full, with no business cost, setup costs or contracts.
• Pros: STASH is included at no extra cost and automates transfers into an FSCS-protected savings account.
• Cons: Tronc & Compliance requires a quote, so buyers cannot compare it by a published rate.
• Cons: Employees cannot see Peer to Peer earnings on the platform.
• Cons: The direct-tipping transaction fee falls on customers, which may affect their willingness to tip.

Alternatives

Restaurant Tip Management Software is a useful place to compare options across the category.

Choose 7shifts instead if employee scheduling is central to your needs: its free Comp plan covers up to 15 employees at one location, while Essentials supports 30 employees and unlimited locations. It also offers a free trial.

TabPref may suit small teams looking for a free starter plan with scheduling, time clock, team chat and basic labor analytics; paid plans are billed monthly per location.

Rocket Tronc is another freemium tronc option with a free trial and a web platform. Its Pro pricing is based on active employees across locations, with published employee bands.

Ferry is worth comparing if you want a paid service with a separate optional Ferry Pay add-on; both plans use contact-sales pricing, and it supports Android, iOS and web.

Homebase offers a freemium option and free trial, with separate paid add-ons including task management and tip management.

Fourth Inventory is a paid web and API option with pricing by demo request.

Atlas Direct Tips is a paid web-based direct-tipping alternative with a free, no-obligation demo.

DishOut is a paid alternative with a free trial and Android, iOS and web support.

Verdict

Grateful is a good choice for hospitality operators that need automated tronc allocation, independent oversight and direct tipping in one service, particularly across multiple venues. Its employee-facing tronc breakdowns and included STASH add practical value. Look elsewhere if Peer to Peer earnings visibility is essential or if you need a published compliance price before choosing a provider.