Tipping used to be straightforward. You left a little extra for your server, your barber, or the delivery driver. Now, tip screens are showing up almost everywhere, and people are starting to push back. Many businesses don’t like the shift, and it’s creating tension.
Counter Service Coffee Shops
Ordering a simple drip coffee from the counter used to involve no tip at all. Now, tip screens prompt for up to 25%, even if there’s no table service involved. Some regulars are opting to skip the tip unless they order something more complex or time-consuming.
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Fast Casual Restaurants
Places like Chipotle or Panera have added tip requests at checkout, even though customers still have to fill their own drinks and bus their tables. Many diners feel the experience doesn’t match traditional tipping standards, and they’re opting out more often.
Takeout Orders
It used to be generous to tip on takeout, but not expected. With new default tip options showing 18–25% on digital checkouts, some customers feel guilt-tripped. More are skipping the tip entirely unless they’re picking up a large or complicated order.
Retail Stores
Some boutique clothing shops and gift stores have started adding tip options to card readers, especially if employees are wrapping items or offering “personal service.” Still, many shoppers find tipping in retail awkward and unnecessary and simply decline.
Online Orders for Pickup
When placing an order online for in-store pickup, people are noticing tip requests before they even leave their house. With no real human interaction involved, tipping feels forced. Many customers skip it, especially when they’re picking up basic items.
Drive-Thrus
Some coffee stands and fast-food drive-thrus have started offering tipping options during card payment. While some customers still tip for speed or friendliness, many skip it, saying the service feels no different than it was before tip prompts became standard.
Food Trucks
While tipping at a sit-down restaurant is expected, food trucks have become a gray area. Many food trucks now prompt for tips on tablets, but customers are divided, especially when prices are already high. Some tip less, others not at all.
Reevaluating When to Tip
Businesses are adding tip requests to more services, hoping to shift payroll costs to customers. But more people are questioning the practice and reevaluating when and where they tip. As the line between “service” and “transaction” gets blurrier, the debate around tipping won’t be going away anytime soon.
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