BOSTON – A Providence-based restaurant management software company has come under fire for increasing fees to customers without their knowledge, The Boston Globe reported.
The Globe interviewed several area restaurant owners who are customers of Upserve, which offers online ordering and point-of-sale software to restaurants nationwide. Since the onset of the pandemic, customers reported new 5% service fees added to their bills, which they alleged the company failed to notify them of beforehand.
A spokesperson for Upserve told The Globe the new charges were “standard industry practice” and a way to offset new cost-burdens amid the financial hit of COVID-19. However, since public complaints, the company has agreed to reduce charges from 5% to 2.99% and drop an accompanying 99-cent minimum service charge. They also said they would be more transparent about fee increases.
Nationwide, Upserve reported an 840% increase in weekly sales from clients using online ordering since February with a 129% increase in average online orders, PBN previously reported.
