Some Americans have stopped tipping. Should you do the same?
Tipping in the United States is increasingly seen as both economic necessity and social pressure, especially as payment terminals now prompt for gratuities in contexts that were never traditionally tipped. Commenters debate whether to keep tipping generously to support underpaid service workers or to withhold tips to push restaurants and platforms toward paying living wages and ending the sub-minimum tipped wage model. Many argue that only legislation or a coordinated cultural shift can resolve this tension, as individual choices to tip or not tip either feel exploitative, performative, or unfair to workers caught in the middle.
Personal Tipping Policies & Norms
- Many restrict tipping to: sit‑down restaurants, “regular” coffee shops, valets, and personal services (hair, massage, etc.).
- Some refuse to tip for basic counter service or black coffee; others tip because they value positive interactions or being a regular.
- Common restaurant baselines mentioned: 15% for “good” service (older norm), 18–20% as current expectation, with some terminals defaulting to 22–25%.
- Some adjust tips based on time/effort spent or how demanding they were, rather than bill size.
Backlash Against Tip Expansion & Payment Terminals
- Strong frustration with tipping prompts at fast‑casual, to‑go counters, coffee shops, and delivery apps.
- Touchscreens that default to high percentages and ask for tips before service are seen as coercive and stressful.
- Some view declining a tip on a terminal as an intentional, even “empowering,” act; others still tip from guilt or fear of social judgment.
- Tip jars are seen as less confrontational than forced on‑screen prompts.
Wages, Economics, and Law
- Many argue restaurant owners should pay living wages and end reliance on tips, as they say happens in other countries.
- Others note attempts at no‑tip models: higher menu prices, mandatory surcharges, and difficulty retaining servers who can earn more under tipping.
- Debate over whether tips are pooled; practice varies by restaurant.
- Cited US structure: legal lower minimum wage for tipped workers; California examples show high minimums and continued tipping, plus rules where mandatory service charges aren’t legally tips.
Cultural, Ethical, and Psychological Dimensions
- Tipping described as a “social tax” driven by fear of being seen as cheap or rude, and sometimes by fear of retaliation (e.g., spit in food, bad ratings).
- Some see not tipping as freeloading under current norms; others say norms can only change by individuals refusing to participate.
- Concerns about discriminatory tipping (race, attractiveness), tax evasion, and companies effectively capturing the benefit of tips.
- A few propose outright banning tipping and/or using legislation to end the tipped minimum wage across the board.
Non‑US and Sector Comparisons
- Comparisons to countries where tipping is rare or offensive (e.g., Japan; some parts of Europe).
- Questions raised about why only certain jobs (servers, drivers) are tip‑based while similar labor (cashiers, mail carriers, IT workers) is not.