The Well & Boot pub in Waterloo station is adding an “optional” 4% service charge to all bills. The fee, which adds around 30p to the price of its £7.65 pint of Camden IPA, is applied by default, meaning customers must actively ask for it to be removed, The Times reports.

A small sign at the card-only bar informs patrons of the policy, stating that “100% of all tips go to our staff”. While service charges are common for table service in UK hospitality, they are a rarity for drinks served directly at the bar.

The move has prompted an awkward scenario for some. “It forces you into a situation where you have to tell the person pouring your drink, ‘I’m not tipping you’, and that goes against British sensibilities,” said consumer rights expert Martyn James. Campaigner Martin Quinn added: “You can understand it if you’re sitting down and it’s table service, but you’re ordering it from the bar. Where’s the service in that?”

This policy arrives amidst a wider trend. Data from payment firm SumUp shows the number of hospitality businesses prompting for tips has risen by over a third in two years, with a 12% increase in pubs using card machines to solicit tips at the bar.