Thousands of Dollars Vanish: B.C. Restaurants Left in the Dark as Tip Management Company Halts Payments
Imagine logging into your business account, expecting to see the hard-earned tips for your staff, only to find them gone without a trace. This is the shocking reality for numerous restaurants across British Columbia, who are now grappling with a financial crisis after a third-party tip management company, Everyday Payments, abruptly stopped distributing funds. But here’s where it gets controversial: while the company cites a vague 'compliance issue,' restaurant owners are left wondering if their money has simply disappeared into thin air.
Everyday Payments, marketed as a revolutionary solution for real-time employee payouts, promised to streamline fund management for businesses in hospitality, food service, beauty, wellness, and commission-based industries. According to their website, the platform’s AnyDay system combines an employer portal, a mobile app, and payment cards to simplify wage distribution and tip allocation. And this is the part most people miss: the system was working flawlessly—until it wasn’t.
Eric Griffith, owner of Alta Bistro and Alpha Cafe in Whistler, was one of the first to sound the alarm. When he logged into the system one Wednesday morning, he discovered a staggering $4,550 missing. 'I thought it had to be an error,' he told Global News. 'But after days of unanswered emails and calls, it became clear this was no mistake.' Griffith’s experience wasn’t isolated. Soon, other business owners began sharing similar stories, realizing they were part of a much larger issue.
A press release from Everyday Payments mentioned a 'compliance issue' and promised reconciliation, but offered no concrete answers. 'What is the intention? When is the money coming back?' Griffith asked, echoing the frustration of many. For him, the missing funds aren’t just numbers—they’re a threat to his ability to pay staff and suppliers. 'It’s a relative impact,' he explained. 'Whether it’s $5,000 or $100,000, it’s still devastating.'
Matthew Upton, co-owner of The Broken Seal in Squamish, is facing an even larger shortfall: $12,000. 'That’s two weeks of payroll,' he said. 'It’s half of what we rely on to keep the doors open.' Upton spent hours on hold with Everyday Payments, only to receive a response days later. 'The hospitality industry is already tough,' he noted. 'When you add this kind of uncertainty, it’s daunting.'
Ian Tostenson, CEO of the BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association, confirmed the scale of the problem. 'We’re hearing from restaurants all over the province,' he said. 'One group lost $50,000, another $15,000. In Vancouver, nearly a million dollars was taken from employee tip wallets.' Tostenson believes the issue stems from a merger between Everyday Payments and another company, with both sides deflecting blame. 'Restaurants are scrambling to pay their staff,' he added. 'I’ve never seen anything like this.'
Everyday Payments initially responded with a generic message, citing a 'service interruption' affecting new card loads. Later, a spokesperson acknowledged the concerns, attributing the delays to a transition to a 'fully prefunded processing model.' However, this explanation has done little to ease the anxiety of affected businesses.
Here’s the burning question: Is this a temporary glitch, or something more sinister? Police reports have been filed in Whistler and Prince George, but answers remain elusive. As Tostenson aptly put it, 'Where is my money?'
This crisis raises broader questions about the risks of relying on third-party platforms for critical financial operations. Should businesses trust companies with their employees’ livelihoods without robust safeguards? And what responsibility do these companies have when things go wrong? We want to hear from you—do you think Everyday Payments is at fault, or is this an unavoidable consequence of modern business technology? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
