Latest news with #Bizum
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Majorca restaurants BAN splitting the bill blaming tourists who want to pay their share for waiter shortages
Diners will have to sort their bill out for themselves as waiters are too busy juggling orders, receipts and card readers PAELLA PAY UP Majorca restaurants BAN splitting the bill blaming tourists who want to pay their share for waiter shortages Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RESTAURANTS across Majorca are cracking down on the once-harmless holiday habit of splitting the bill, blaming picky tourists and chronic waiter shortages for chaos at the tills. Eateries at the popular Spanish hotspot are uniting behind a simple demand: one bill per table - no exceptions. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Majorca restaurants are banning tourists from splitting the bill Credit: Getty 7 Owners are uniting behind a single bill per table, insisting it avoids unpaid items and speeds service Credit: Getty The move, they say, is aimed at avoiding unpaid items, streamlining service, and easing the pressure on overworked staff. Juanmi Ferrer, president of the Mallorca CAEB Restaurants Association, told Ultima Hora: 'Some don't want to pay for the wine, others specifically ask to pay for their own dish. 'This gets complicated for the staff, and there can be items that no one is charged for.' As tourists insist on settling only their share - whether that's half a sangria or a spoonful of paella - waiters are left juggling orders, receipts and card readers, often delaying service and creating discrepancies in the daily close-out. 'It is time-consuming and even more so if the bill doesn't add up,' Ferrer warned. Now, some restaurants are outright refusing to allow separate payments, insisting that diners sort it out among themselves. The only concession? Split the bill equally - if you must - but do it fast. Ferrer recommended tools like free mobile payment apps to simplify things. He told Majorca Daily Bulletin: 'We understand that the bill should be split among everyone, but there are much easier and more convenient methods, such as Bizum, which is free for customers and is automatic.' Moment hardcore anti tourist mob surround Brit tourists in Majorca chanting 'go home' & telling Brit ex-pats to 'go to hell' And while tourists may find the policy change frustrating, restaurant owners say they're simply running out of staff to cope. 'Since the pandemic, restaurateurs have had a hard time finding workers,' Ferrer added. Many businesses are forced to offer only one lunch shift, as they don't have enough staff to open midday and evening.' He insists the issue isn't about money. In fact, Majorca offers "the best hospitality agreement in Spain", with a minimum net salary of €1,700 (£1,475) a month. The real problem is getting enough hands on deck during the short but intense tourist season – especially in beach resorts. 7 Some restaurants are outright refusing to allow separate payments, insisting that diners sort it out among themselves Credit: Getty 7 The move aims to avoid unpaid items, streamline service, and ease pressure on staff Credit: Getty Tourism tensions The clampdown on splitting the bill comes as anti-tourism protests flare up across the Balearics and mainland Spain. Tourists – especially Brits – are finding themselves increasingly unwelcome, with some now being lured to 'fake beaches' as part of a growing guerrilla campaign. In one viral video, a local revealed how some residents are making up names for non-existent coves in dangerous areas to mislead visitors and keep them off popular stretches of sand. 'These are not beaches, they are dangerous places that you should avoid,' she warned. Meanwhile, beaches have been barricaded with boulders, fake 'Beach Closed' signs have popped up across Majorca, and one protester was even spotted wielding an axe. The protest group Caterva claimed responsibility for recent 'symbolic closures' of secluded coves like Cala Varques and Cala Petita, insisting they're 'for residents' use and rest' only. 7 Residents across Europe have protested with signs bearing slogans like 'As you come I have to go' Credit: Reuters 7 Widespread anti-tourism protests have erupted across Spain in the last year Credit: Reuters
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Majorca restaurants BAN splitting the bill blaming tourists who want to pay their share for waiter shortages
RESTAURANTS across Majorca are cracking down on the once-harmless holiday habit of splitting the bill, blaming picky tourists and chronic waiter shortages for chaos at the tills. Eateries at the popular Spanish hotspot are uniting behind a simple demand: one bill per table - no exceptions. 7 7 The move, they say, is aimed at avoiding unpaid items, streamlining service, and easing the pressure on overworked staff. Juanmi Ferrer, president of the Mallorca CAEB Restaurants Association, told Ultima Hora: 'Some don't want to pay for the wine, others specifically ask to pay for their own dish. 'This gets complicated for the staff, and there can be items that no one is charged for.' As tourists insist on settling only their share - whether that's half a sangria or a spoonful of paella - waiters are left juggling orders, receipts and card readers, often delaying service and creating discrepancies in the daily close-out. 'It is time-consuming and even more so if the bill doesn't add up,' Ferrer warned. Now, some restaurants are outright refusing to allow separate payments, insisting that diners sort it out among themselves. The only concession? Split the bill equally - if you must - but do it fast. Ferrer recommended tools like free mobile payment apps to simplify things. He said: 'We understand that the bill should be split among everyone, but there are much easier and more convenient methods, such as Bizum, which is free for customers and is automatic.' Moment hardcore anti tourist mob surround Brit tourists in Majorca chanting 'go home' & telling Brit ex-pats to 'go to hell' And while tourists may find the policy change frustrating, restaurant owners say they're simply running out of staff to cope. 'Since the pandemic, restaurateurs have had a hard time finding workers,' Ferrer added. Many businesses are forced to offer only one lunch shift, as they don't have enough staff to open midday and evening.' He insists the issue isn't about money. In fact, Majorca offers "the best hospitality agreement in Spain", with a minimum net salary of €1,700 (£1,475) a month. The real problem is getting enough hands on deck during the short but intense tourist season – especially in beach resorts. 7 7 Tourism tensions The clampdown on splitting the bill comes as anti-tourism protests flare up across the Balearics and mainland Spain. Tourists – especially Brits – are finding themselves increasingly unwelcome, with some now being lured to 'fake beaches' as part of a growing guerrilla campaign. In one viral video, a local revealed how some residents are making up names for non-existent coves in dangerous areas to mislead visitors and keep them off popular stretches of sand. 'These are not beaches, they are dangerous places that you should avoid,' she warned. Meanwhile, beaches have been barricaded with boulders, fake 'Beach Closed' signs have popped up across Majorca, and one protester was even spotted wielding an axe. The protest group Caterva claimed responsibility for recent 'symbolic closures' of secluded coves like Cala Varques and Cala Petita, insisting they're 'for residents' use and rest' only. 7 7
FF News
04-07-2025
- Business
- FF News
Exactly.com Helps UK Businesses Scale with Enhanced Coverage in Spain
has expanded its footprint in Spain. The expansion of Spain Coverage enhances local payment performance and fortifies cross-border capabilities. Bizum has emerged as a well-established mobile payment solution in Spain, offering instant transfers directly between bank accounts via users' mobile numbers. Designed for convenience and speed, it integrates seamlessly with banking apps and facilitates both peer-to-peer payments and e-commerce transactions. Supported by over 35 Spanish banks, Bizum boasts more than 27 million users and processes an average of 2.5 million transactions daily. The payment method is growing rapidly in popularity, with nearly 50% of Spanish consumers using it for online purchases, including mobile shopping and social commerce (TikTok, Instagram), driven by the country's younger demographics (Gen Z & Millennials). Bizum is accepted by over 50,000 e-commerce merchants across the country, and its inclusion in portfolio means UK merchants can reach more shoppers in Spain, which currently ranks fourth in Europe for online retail sales, following the UK, Germany, and France. The addition of Bizum also forms part of a broader strategy by to strengthen its e-commerce payment solutions for micro-businesses and SMEs. The aim is to help them scale faster, improve conversion rates, and reduce spending on payment infrastructure — all of which have become key concerns amid proposed US transatlantic tariffs and continued economic uncertainty. Mark Andreev , COO at comments: 'The misconception that Visa and Mastercard alone are enough for doing business in Europe persists. However, with regulatory changes such as Brexit and growing competition from alternative payment methods, the rise of Google Pay, Apple Pay, and local solutions is steadily taking market share from traditional networks. At our goal is to help UK businesses scale smoothly without scaling the costs. We provide tailored solutions and ongoing business and IT support, ensuring our clients optimise conversion and expand effectively across the UK, EU, and beyond.' The company continues to empower UK companies entering the Spanish market with its expanded Spain Coverage. Companies In This Post
Local Spain
12-06-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
Spanish banks to allow Bizum instant payments to other European countries
Banco Santander has become the first financial institution in Spain to offer Bizum payments to other European countries. The news is a step forward for digital banking in Spain, allowing people to be more financially connected with the rest of Europe. The system is based on technical connectivity enabled by the European Payments Initiative (EuroPA), which seeks to unify payment services across Europe. Following successful pilot tests, this connectivity is now a reality, and new countries and banking institutions are expected to join the network in the coming months. Thanks to the interconnection of the mobile payment platforms, Bizum customers will now be able to connect with Bancomat in Italy and MB WAY in Portugal. According to the bank, it will connect 50 million users and 186 financial institutions, which is first step while awaiting a single European solution, for which no agreement has yet been reached. This means that Santander customers will be able to send and receive money instantly from and to users in these two countries, as well as in Andorra. It will be carried out in the same way as it is in Spain, by selecting a contact in your address book via a phone number, without having to enter an IBAN or use bank cards. Although Santander is the first bank to join, it is set to be rolled out very soon by several other banks in the country. Abanca, OpenBank, CaixaBank, BBVA, and Banco Sabadell are all expected to implement this service by the second quarter of 2025. While Europe continues its search for a single solution to transfers between countries, these platforms have taken the issue into their own hands, thanks to the EuroPA initiative. The hope is that Europe will adopt this method using the existing infrastructure in the future. Bizum is a Spanish mobile service that allows users to send an amount of money that usually ranges between 50 cents and €500. It enables you to make payments or request money from a phone number, if you have a Spanish account number from a bank linked to it, and now an Italian, Portuguese or Andorran one too. It's a free app service which was launched by Spain's main banks in 2016 as a way of competing with other mobile payment services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Paypal and others. Bizum has over 20 million users in Spain and is how many Spaniards choose to split the bill, pay small amounts for services and even pay their rent.
Local Spain
11-06-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
REVEALED: Spain's best high-yield savings accounts in 2025
Pinpointing a truly high-yield savings account in Spain is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, seeing as they're very few and far between. In the UK or US for example you can find many 5 or even 6 percent yield rates, but in Spain that's not the case and almost all savings accounts go up to just 2.5-3 percent. There are banks that offer higher initial rates, but this may only be for a few months and they usually come with extra conditions. It's also important to remember that any gains from a cuenta remunerada, as high-yield savings accounts are called in Spanish, must be declared on your tax return and the applicable tax paid. Now that prices have gone up so much though, knowing where to find the best savings accounts in Spain can be a big help. Here's what you need to know about the best high-interest accounts in Spain as of June 2025. Raisin Cuenta de Bienvenida: The Raisin Cuenta de Bienvenida or welcome account offers one of the highest percentages of APR currently at 3.60 percent on amounts up to €60,000. Unfortunately though they only offer this rate for the first three months. At the end of the three months, you can transfer your money to a savings product from one of its partner banks. The account is commission free and 100 percent online. As the name suggests it's only for new Raisin customers. Bunq Free Account: Bunq offers a commission-free savings account with a 2.26 percent interest rate on the account balance and weekly interest payments. You can link it to your Bizum account, and you are allowed make up to two withdrawals per month. Customers also get a free prepaid virtual card. Revolut's Savings Account: Online bank Revolut offers 2.53 percent APR up to a maximum of €100,000 for this online account. In order to benefit, you must sign up to their Ultra plan which costs €55 per month. You can also get free transfers with the SEPA zone. Trade Republic Savings Account: Trade Republic's Savings Account offers 2.27 percent APR on unlimited cash balances. You receive interest once a month and have the flexibility to take out your money when you want. You can also get a free card and 1 percent back on your accepted monthly card payments up to €1,500. Klarna Flex Account: Klarna offers a 2.25 percent interest-bearing, fully accessible flex account with no fees. You can open your account from the app in just a few minutes and deposit an amount with no minimum balance. Interest is calculated daily and paid monthly. B100 Savings Account: This account offers 2.25 percent APR if you open a savings account and a 3.20 percent APR yield for the Health account. The maximum amount you can invest is €50,000 in each account. It also offers free cash withdrawals in Spain. Bankinter Smart Digital Account: This account offers 2.5 percent APR up to €150,000 if you get your salary paid in and link it to your Bizum account. The rate is only guaranteed for the first three months. After the fourth month, they check if the requirements are met, if not it decreases to 2.12 percent. You can also benefit from free EU transfers, a free debit card and no commissions or fees. This is available for new customers only. This offer is only available until July 22nd 2025. N26 Savings Account: If you connect your Bizum to the account, N26's online service will offer you 2.25 percent APR with the flexibility to access your money whenever you want. The interest rate applies to deposits of up to €50,000. There are no fees, but you must be a new customer to benefit.
