---
title: "Tip pooling rules in Pennsylvania"
description: "In Pennsylvania, card tips belong to you and fees can’t come out of them. Who can join a pool depends on whether you’re paid a tip-credited wage."
url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/pennsylvania/tip-pooling
language: en
publisher: TipMax (Entermaurs Incorporated)
date_published: 2026-09-23
last_verified: 2026-09-23
---

# Who can be in my tip pool in Pennsylvania?

**Short answer:** **It depends on your cash wage.** If anyone in the pool is paid a tip-credited wage (under $7.25 an hour), Pennsylvania limits the pool to jobs that customarily and regularly get tips. If everyone gets at least the state minimum, the pool can include non-tipped staff too. Managers, supervisors, and employers can’t receive from any pool. Card tips are yours, and processing fees can’t be taken out.

## The rules in Pennsylvania

| Rule | What it says |
| --- | --- |
| Card tips | Tips paid by credit card or another non-cash method belong to the employee who receives them. |
| Processing fees | Employers can’t deduct credit card or other payment processing fees from tips. |
| Pool with tip-credited staff | Only people in occupations that customarily and regularly receive tips. |
| Pool when all get the minimum | Can include both tipped and non-tipped employees. |
| Managers and owners | Can’t receive from a pool, but may contribute tips they earned themselves. |

> “Tip pools including any employee who is paid a tip credited minimum wage (less than $7.25 per hour) may only include individuals in occupations who customarily and regularly receive tips.” (Pennsylvania DLI: overtime and tipped worker rules, https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/resources/compliance-laws-and-regulations/labor-management-relations/labor-law/overtime-and-tipped-worker-rules-in-pa)

## What’s different in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s pool rules track the federal two-track setup closely: a tip-credited wage keeps the pool to tipped jobs, and a full minimum opens it to the kitchen. The minimum is still $7.25 here, but your tipped cash wage is $2.83, not the federal $2.13, so the house pays a little more per hour before tips.

Two state details matter at the end of a shift. First, the Department of Labor & Industry says card fees can’t be skimmed from your tips, so a card tip should reach you in full. Second, a manager who waits on a table may drop that tip into the pool, but can never pull money back out of it.

## Official sources

- [Pennsylvania DLI: overtime and tipped worker rules](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/resources/compliance-laws-and-regulations/labor-management-relations/labor-law/overtime-and-tipped-worker-rules-in-pa)

## Last verified

September 23, 2026. Checked the agency pages linked above.

## About TipMax

Pennsylvania bars card-fee deductions from tips, so recording each card tip and your tip-out lets you spot any shortfall on your pay stub.

TipMax is an iPhone app for servers and bartenders that tracks tips and tip-outs and turns a restaurant menu into study flashcards.

Download TipMax free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tipmax-study-track-earn/id6744850146

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TipMax Answers explains public government guidance on pay and workplace rules in plain English for tipped workers. It is **not legal, tax, or accounting advice**. Rules change and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency linked on this page or a qualified professional. TipMax the app helps you track tips and pay; it doesn’t enforce wage law or decide disputes.