Is Tipping Out of Control? 9 Places Americans Are Now Asked to Tip
It used to be simple. You tipped your server at a sit-down restaurant, your hairdresser, maybe the bartender and the cab driver. Everyone more or less knew the rules, and most people followed them without much thought.
Now a tablet gets swiveled toward you almost everywhere you pay. You buy a muffin, pick up a takeout order or grab a bottle of water, and a screen suggests 18%, 20% or 25% while the cashier waits. Many Americans say they feel pressured, confused and a little guilty no matter which button they press, and the numbers show they aren’t imagining things. Here are nine places Americans are now regularly asked to tip, along with what surveys say about how people actually respond.
Americans Say Tipping Has Changed
The shift is real, and most people have noticed it. In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 12,000 adults, 72% said tipping is expected in more places than it was five years earlier. Only about a third said it was extremely or very easy to know how much to tip for different services.
Frustration has grown since then. A 2025 Bankrate survey found that 41% of U.S. adults say tipping culture has gotten out of control, up from 35% the year before. Among baby boomers and Gen Xers, the figure was 45%.
1. Coffee Shops
The coffee counter is where many people first noticed the change. A barista hands over a latte, and the payment screen suggests a tip before you’ve even taken a sip. For a regular morning coffee, those few extra dollars add up quickly.
Many customers still say no. In Pew’s 2023 survey, only 25% of people who buy coffee said they always or often tip for it. Bankrate’s 2025 survey found that just 18% of adults who use coffee shops always tip their barista, down from 23% in 2021.
2. Fast-Casual Counters
At many sandwich, burrito and salad chains, you order at the counter, wait for your name to be called and carry your own tray. Yet more of these restaurants now present a tip screen at checkout. For many customers, it’s confusing to be asked to tip when there’s no table service.
Most people don’t feel obligated. Pew found that only 12% of adults who eat at fast-casual restaurants always or often leave a tip. That’s a stark contrast with sit-down restaurants, where 92% said they always or often tip.
3. Takeout Pickup
Picking up a takeout order used to be a no-tip situation for most people. Now many restaurants include a tip line on the receipt or a prompt on their online ordering system. Some customers feel guilty skipping it, especially at local spots they want to support.
Bankrate’s 2025 survey found that 12% of adults who order takeout always tip, down from 17% in 2021. Some people choose to leave a small tip for large or complicated orders, while others save tipping for full service. There’s no single rule, which is part of why so many people feel uncertain.
4. Self-Checkout Kiosks
Perhaps the most baffling new tip request comes at self-service machines. Customers scan their own items, bag their own purchases and then see a screen asking if they’d like to add a tip. Many wonder who exactly the tip is for.
One traveler’s video went viral after a self-service store at Newark Liberty International Airport prompted him for an 18% tip on a $6.49 bottle of water. Stories like this have become a symbol of what many people call “tipflation.” Bankrate found that 38% of adults are annoyed by pre-entered tip screens.
5. Food Delivery
Tipping delivery drivers is not new, but it has become a much bigger part of everyday life thanks to delivery apps. Many apps ask for a tip before the food even arrives, which can make customers feel they’re paying for service they haven’t received yet. For many drivers, tips are a meaningful part of their pay.
Most people do tip for delivery. Pew found that 76% of adults who use food delivery always or often tip. Bankrate’s survey found that 52% of people who use food delivery always tip.
6. Ride-Share Trips
Taxi drivers have long received tips, and ride-share apps carried that custom over with a tip prompt after every ride. Some riders tip every time, while others reserve it for drivers who help with luggage or offer exceptional service. The app’s reminder can make that choice feel more public.
Pew found that 61% of adults who use taxis or ride-shares always or often tip. Bankrate put the share who always tip their driver at 43% in 2025. Younger adults were much less likely to always tip than older ones, according to Bankrate.
7. Hotel Housekeeping
Leaving cash on the pillow for hotel housekeepers is a tradition many travelers forget. Some hotels now leave envelopes or cards in rooms reminding guests that tips are appreciated. Housekeepers often clean many rooms a day, and their work can be physically demanding.
Despite the reminders, few travelers tip consistently. Bankrate’s 2025 survey found that only 25% of adults who stay in hotels always tip housekeepers. Many guests say they simply don’t think about it, especially if they never see the person who cleans their room.
8. Furniture and Appliance Delivery
When a crew hauls a new refrigerator up a flight of stairs or assembles a heavy dresser, some customers wonder whether to tip. Some delivery workers now carry handheld payment devices with tip options built in. Others rely on customers offering cash.
Bankrate found that just 15% of adults who have furniture or appliances delivered always tip the delivery workers. Many people offer cold drinks or a small cash tip for especially difficult jobs instead. It’s one of the areas where Americans seem most unsure of the rules.
9. Home Repairs and Services
Plumbers, electricians, cleaners and handymen are increasingly sending invoices through apps that include a tip option. For many homeowners, that’s a new and confusing request, especially on top of a large repair bill. Some wonder whether they’re expected to tip a business owner who sets their own prices.
Very few people consistently tip in this category. Bankrate’s survey found that only 9% of adults who use home services always tip. Many homeowners prefer to show appreciation through good reviews and repeat business.
Why Tipping Keeps Spreading
Part of the change comes from technology. Digital payment screens make it easy for businesses to ask for tips anywhere, even where tipping was never customary. Some businesses say the extra money helps their workers at a time of rising costs.
Tipping is also deeply woven into how many service jobs pay. Under federal law, employers can pay some tipped workers as little as $2.13 an hour in cash wages as long as tips bring them up to the federal minimum wage. Visitors from other countries often find America’s tipping system one of the odd traditions that confuse them most.
How to Handle Tip Screens
You don’t have to feel guilty every time a screen turns your way. Many people tip generously for full service and skip or leave a small amount for counter purchases, and that’s a reasonable approach. Pressing “no tip” on a self-checkout kiosk isn’t rude.
Think about the level of service, your budget and whether the worker relies on tips. Being consistent and thoughtful matters more than following every prompt. Do you think tipping has gotten out of control, and where is the strangest place you’ve been asked to leave a tip?
