Americans Don’t Know How to Tip Anymore According to New Research

The Pew Research Center claims that “Most U.S. adults say tipping is expected in more places these days, but for many the rules are unclear.”

According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, approximately 72% of American adults believe that they’re being asked to tip service workers more often than they were just five years ago — a phenomenon aptly named “tipflation.”

Still, as the expectation to tip spreads, the understanding of when and how much to tip remains unclear for many. Just about a third of U.S. adults find it very or extremely easy to determine both when (34%) and how much (33%) to tip for various services. Furthermore, the tipping culture in America seems to present a dilemma, with 21% viewing tipping as a choice, 29% perceiving it as an obligation, and a significant 49% declaring that it depends on the situation.

In an endeavor to unravel these complexities, the Pew Research Center conducted an extensive survey with nearly 12,000 U.S. adults, unearthing several key findings:

• Public opposition to suggested tip amounts: Businesses proposing tip amounts — on bills or checkout screens, for instance — face more opposition (40%) than favor (24%). Around 32% neither support nor oppose this practice.
• Broad disapproval of automatic service charges: A substantial majority, about 72% of adults, are against businesses incorporating automatic service charges or tips on bills, regardless of the group’s size. Only 10% support such charges.
• Variable tipping behaviors across services: American tipping behaviors are greatly influenced by the situation. While 92% of people frequenting sit-down restaurants declare they always or often leave a tip, smaller majorities tip for haircuts (78%), food deliveries (76%), drinks at bars (70%), and taxi or rideshare services (61%). Merely 25% report tipping always or often when buying coffee, and just 12% at fast-casual restaurants.
• Predominance of 15% or less tipping for restaurant meals: Almost six in 10 people (57%) say they would tip 15% or less for an average meal at a sit-down restaurant, including 2% who wouldn’t leave any tip. Only a quarter declare they’d tip 20% or more.
• Service quality as the key tipping factor: Around 77% state that the quality of the service received significantly influences their decision to tip and the amount they leave.

Whether tipping is viewed as a compulsory act or an optional gesture also seems to depend on age, as the study reveals. It appears that younger individuals commonly tip out of habit, whereas older consumers generally consider it more of a discretionary choice.

The tension surrounding tipping practices is emerging amid significant structural and technological changes to the tradition. Developments such as the rise of digital payment platforms, devices prompting tips, and mandatory service charges are reshaping the tipping landscape.

The Pew Research Center’s survey, conducted between Aug. 7-27 this year, provides a window into the ongoing debate surrounding an everyday American practice that is widely accepted yet often disputed, promising further discussions and potential shifts in this evolving landscape.