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Toast Tip Screen Not Working? How to Fix Tip Prompts & Gratuity Settings (Quick Fix Guide)

Jason Feemster

November 23, 2025

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Written by Jason Feemster, POS specialist with 15+ years of experience helping restaurants and retailers troubleshoot POS systems, payments, and hardware issues.

If your Toast tip screen isn’t working—no tip prompt, wrong tip amounts, or gratuity suddenly not appearing on the handheld—this guide walks you through the most common causes and fixes for Toast terminals, Toast Go handhelds, and Toast Flex-style devices.

We’ll focus on the standard Toast tip screen flow (counter service, table service, and handhelds) and briefly note what’s different if you’re using Toast Kiosk.

Common Causes of Toast Tip Screen Not Working

• Tips disabled in your Toast web dashboard
• Tip prompts set to “no tip prompt” or wrong layout
• Device not synced after changing tip settings
• New handheld or terminal not assigned the correct payment/tip profile
• Toast device offline or having network issues
• Outdated Toast POS software on the device
• Employee role or permissions preventing tip collection
• Separate Toast Kiosk configuration using different tip settings

How to Fix Toast Tip Screen & Gratuity Issues

1. Confirm Tips Are Enabled in Your Toast Dashboard

Start by confirming that tips are actually turned on at the account level. If tips are disabled or set to “no prompt,” no device can show a tip screen.

• Log into your Toast web dashboard
• Go to your payments or tip settings area
• Verify that tips are enabled for the location
• Check that you have a tip prompt configured (percent, dollar, or custom)

If you recently changed your service model (for example, switching between counter service and table service), double-check that your tip settings still match how you want guests to be prompted.

2. Make Sure the Device Has the Correct Payment/Tip Profile

New handhelds or terminals may not be using the same payment profile as your main register, which can cause different or missing tip prompts.

• In your Toast dashboard, open your device configuration
• Find the handheld or terminal having tip issues
• Confirm it’s assigned to the same payment/tip profile as devices where the tip screen works
• Save changes and prepare to sync the device

3. Sync the Toast Device After Changing Tip Settings

Tip settings don’t always apply instantly. The device typically needs to sync after changes are made in the dashboard.

• On the Toast device, open the menu or device settings
• Look for an option to Sync or Reload Configuration
• Run a sync and wait for it to complete
• Process a test transaction to see if the tip prompt appears

If your device isn’t syncing at all, see our Toast Tablet Not Syncing guide.

4. Restart the Toast Device & App

A simple restart can clear cached settings and reload the latest configuration from Toast.

• Close the Toast app completely
• Restart the handheld or terminal
• Reopen Toast POS and sign back in
• Run a test check to confirm the tip screen appears

If the whole device is freezing or lagging while trying to tip, see our Toast POS Frozen guide.

5. Check Network & Offline Mode Behavior

Toast devices rely on a stable network connection to sync settings. In some cases, offline or weak Wi-Fi can cause odd behavior with prompts and flows.

• Confirm the device is connected to your secure business Wi-Fi
• Avoid guest networks that don’t match your Toast network setup
• If multiple devices are acting strange, restart your router and access points

If you’re also seeing general network errors or offline messages, see our Toast Network Error guide.

6. Update the Toast POS Software

After certain updates, older software versions may not handle tip prompts correctly. Keeping the device up to date helps avoid bugs with tipping and payment flow.

• Restart the Toast device
• Check for available updates to the Toast POS app or device software
• Install updates, then restart again
• Test a transaction with a card to confirm the tip prompt appears

7. Verify Employee Roles & Permissions

In some setups, certain roles may have limited access, which can affect who is allowed to take tips or adjust gratuity.

• Open the Toast dashboard and go to your employee or role settings
• Check the role for the user handling the transaction (server, cashier, bartender, etc.)
• Confirm they’re allowed to accept tips and close checks as expected
• Save any changes and resync the device

8. If You’re Using Toast Kiosk

Toast Kiosk uses its own flow and configuration. If the kiosk tip screen isn’t showing, you may need to update kiosk-specific settings rather than handheld or terminal profiles.

• Open your Toast kiosk configuration in the dashboard
• Confirm that tipping is enabled for kiosk orders
• Ensure the kiosk layout you’re using includes a tip step
• Sync or restart the kiosk to apply changes

If your kiosk is also having network or sync issues, the root cause may be the same as your handhelds and terminals.

When to Contact Toast Support

Contact Toast support if your tip screen still isn’t working after these steps, especially if:

• Tip settings look correct, but no device shows tip prompts
• Only one device behaves differently even with the same profile
• Tip amounts or gratuity rules don’t match what you’ve configured
• You suspect a recent update changed tip behavior and the issue affects multiple locations

Get official help here:

Toast Customer Service – Phone, Chat & Support Center

Toast Tip Screen Not Working – FAQs

Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant

Want guided, step-by-step help with your Toast tip screen?

• POSUSA POS Support Assistant
• Select Toast
• Type: “Toast tip screen not working”
• Follow the recommended troubleshooting flow