Tipping point: Majority of Americans feel pressure to tip more than they want

There are many folks who think tipping culture has gotten out of hand these days, and a new survey seems to suggest that annoyance isn’t going away soon.

A new survey conducted by the commerce platform Lightspeed Commerce Inc. finds that 73% of folks don’t like to see auto-tipping prompts on digital screens. And there’s good reason, with 58% saying they feel pressure to leave a bigger tip than they really want to because they worry they’ll appear cheap.

But being uncomfortable with tipping culture doesn’t mean folks aren’t actually tipping.

While the survey notes that 44% of people say inflation has affected how much they tip, they are still doing it, although who they are tipping is another story. 

Restaurant diners seem to be the biggest tippers, with 38% tipping between 16% and 20%; 34% tipping between 10% and 15%; and 13% tipping 21% or more. 

Respondents say that delivery drivers are also most likely to get tips for their service (61%), although folks are less likely to tip workers at coffee shops (28%) or when ordering at a counter (19%).