A waitress received a $1,000 tip directly from her customer after the restaurant refused to give it to her because it was left on a credit card.

Shaina Brown was working the night shift in Raleigh when a man left her the tip. But the Waffle House restaurant said it refunds large tips unless they are paid by cash or cheque to avoid disputes about charges.

Brown said she was humiliated when the restaurant refused to give her the money. She said she got a call last week from her customer, who wanted to remain anonymous. She said he had heard about her problems and immediately wrote her a cheque.