Americans have been tipping less and less in recent years, with 66% of U.S. adults now saying they have a negative view about tipping in general, according to a new survey from the personal finance website Bankrate.com.
“I think a lot of people are just getting fed up with all the requests for tips,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst with Bankrate.
Digital payment platforms that invite consumers to tip appear to be making people upset, as 32% of those surveyed said they were annoyed with pre-entered tip screens.
According to the survey, 41% said they believed that businesses should pay their employees better rather than relying on tips so much.
“Even at places where we should customarily be tipping, like restaurants, it’s on the decline,” Rossman said. “A lot of people are annoyed.”
More than two-fifths of U.S. adults said they tip at least 20% when going to sit-down restaurants. However, tip frequency overall has been dropping.
The survey showed that servers at sit-down restaurants said their tips were down this year 8% compared to last. Food delivery drivers said their tips had dropped 7%.
Hair stylists and barbers were the hardest-hit category, as they said their tips had dropped by 13% this year compared to 2022.
“Most recently, I think inflation is a big deal,” said Rossman. “They feel like they can’t spare the extra money.”
The tendency to always tip for a particular service increased as people aged. Gen Z was generally the least likely to always tip for a service, while baby boomers were generally the most likely.
The difference between generations was the most significant for those who went to hairdressers, hair stylists or barbers, the survey showed.
Only 24% of Gen Z Americans who went to hair stylists always tipped, while nearly three times as many baby boomers — 70% — who used the service always left a tip.
