By now, none of us are strangers to the service fees and tip recommendations presented to us at coffee shops, bars, and restaurants. iPads with point-of-sale apps like Square and Stripe now prompt customers to tip anywhere from 18 to 30 percent, regardless of the service rendered or items purchased — think checkout counters at liquor stores, self-checkouts at airport convenience stores, or even while boarding your dog. Following Covid-era closures, these costs helped businesses recoup lost funds and take care of staff. But in the years since, tipping culture has reached a fever pitch, and Americans have had enough.
According to new survey data from personal finance company WalletHub, nearly three in four Americans believe that tipping culture has grown “out of control.” Over 25 percent of the more-than 210 respondents reported they tip less when presented with a suggestion screen at checkout.
The data comes on the heels of a recent Pew Research Center poll indicating that over 50 percent of Americans tip 15 percent or less while dining in restaurants. In fact, two percent of these approximately 12,000 respondents surveyed claim to never tip anything at all. The research center, in line with WalletHub’s findings, identified “tip fatigue” as the most likely reason behind the drop in gratuity, spurred by requests to tip heavily in bizarre places. This fatigue could spell more trouble for laborers who rely on the practice to sustain their income.
That said, much of the frustration with tipping culture seems to be directed at employers of these establishments rather than the employees requesting the tips themselves. More than three in five of WalletHub’s respondents claimed to believe that U.S. businesses are replacing their employee’s salaries with tips from customers rather than simply paying them a living wage. Customers, naturally, don’t agree with this practice: 64 percent of respondents said that a tip is only something that should be given when you feel like it, and should never be something you’re expected to always give.
While guests should always tip at least 20 percent when at restaurants and bars, we can’t quite say the same for the self-checkout counter in an airport terminal.