Wherever you make a purchase these days, odds are you’ll be presented with a digital tip request at checkout. You can choose from a variety of preset percentage options or use the option to submit a custom amount.
Although these screens can help with the math, since you don’t need to calculate the tip, a backlash against them is in full swing.
Social media is rife with people railing against their prevalence, from “The Real Housewives of New York City” alum Bethenny Frankel to financial educators like Mark Calloway and massively popular influencers such as Adam Waheed.
Tipping fatigue is having a counterproductive effect. An April 2026 Popmenu study found that 42% of customers said they were becoming more comfortable skipping gratuities for certain services.
There are times when you may want to tap to tip, but not doing so is also fine. Here’s what you need to know.
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How Tipping Culture Is Evolving
According to Michael Lynn, a professor emeritus at Cornell University and author of the 2026 book, “The Psychology of Tipping: Scientific Insights for Services Customers, Workers, and Managers,” one of the most common reasons Americans tip is to ensure better-than-average service in the future. Leave a $20 bill on the bar for a single drink, and you may get preferential treatment next time you go.
Such interpersonal magic may be lost in a digital transaction, though. When everything is settled at the end of the night, it can be hard to put a face to the person who gave most generously.
According to Lynn, digital prompts are also creating a false sense of universal norms. The screens give the immediate impression that everyone tips for everything. If you don’t, you’re the odd one out.
Hence, the intensifying negative emotions surrounding the swiveled iPad.
A July 2026 Omni Calculator survey found that 66% of customers feel intense pressure when a digital screen is turned around while an employee watches them. And 40% are actively boycotting certain businesses entirely just to avoid the anxiety of dodging tip prompts.
Karen Kapnick, a New York City-based media entrepreneur, agrees. “Those tip suggestions are obnoxious,” she says. “I try to leave a cash tip anyway. Then you know the person is definitely getting it.”
Manners Matter: Why You’re Apt to Tip When You’d Rather Not
Thomas P. Farley, a New York-based etiquette and customer service expert, agrees that the expectation is getting out of hand.
“We are rapidly approaching the day when your mechanic, hygienist or hardware store employee who sold you a hammer will give you the screen to ask for a tip,” he says.
So why keep doing it? Social graces and wanting to be a good person are also major factors in overtipping.
In many cases, too, the person who rang up your purchase is standing in front of you, and you don’t want to appear rude. Even if you don’t have the money or don’t believe the service is tip-worthy, you may tip anyway.
The pressure may be even greater if people are watching. “If others are with you and can view the transaction, you might feel embarrassed if you don’t at least hit the button for the midrange tip,” Farley says.
The Popmenu study found that when customers are shown preset tip amounts, the middle option is the most popular choice after leaving a custom tip:
— 36% of customers leave a custom tip, meaning they enter their own tip amount instead of choosing one of the preset options.
— 32% of customers choose the middle tip option shown on the screen.
— 17% of customers choose the lowest suggested tip.
— 9% of customers choose not to leave a tip.
— 7% of customers choose the highest preset tip.
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When It’s OK Not to Tip
Even when tipping is customary, such as when dining at a restaurant, a tip is generally voluntary. However, businesses may impose mandatory service charges or other fees that you’re required to pay.
But since the technology has advanced to such a degree that just about anybody can give you a device programmed with a tipping function, you may be faced with the following situations. All are unusual enough for you to at least question the gratuity request.
Clothing and Other Small Retailers
You go to a local shop to buy a pair of jeans, and the screen asks you if you want to tip. You needn’t agree, though if you have strong feelings about helping low-wage employees or rewarding a particularly hard worker, you can.
“I went to a clothing store recently, and I was so surprised that the screen asked me if I wanted to add a tip to the purchase,” Lauren Days, co-owner of Skillet2Plate Soul Bistro in York, Pennsylvania, says. So, did she? “I did. Tipping can have an impact. A lot of people don’t make much money,” she says.
Unsolicited Entertainment
You’re strolling around a city, taking public transportation or having a meal in a restaurant, and suddenly it’s showtime.
Musicians, dancers or singers may begin to perform. You didn’t ask for it, but you’re trapped. Because many people don’t carry cash anymore, tech-savvy buskers may present a card reader with a suggested tip.
If you didn’t ask for it, didn’t enjoy it and even tried to avoid it, a smile and a head shake are sufficient.
“However, if you livestreamed the performance and put it on Instagram, rethink not tipping,” Farley says. “If it’s good enough for social media, it’s good enough to tip.”
Convenience Stores and Gas Stations
All you wanted was to grab some snacks and fill up the tank, but when you check out, the screen it gives you the option to add a few dollars to the tab. If you feel particularly generous, go for it — but you’re under no obligation to tip in this situation.
Professional Services
Tipping professional service providers generally isn’t expected. Whether to tip can vary by profession and circumstance, so consider the customary practice for the service you’re receiving rather than assuming a tip is required.
Business Managers and Owners
If you’re being served directly by a business owner or manager, you generally don’t need to tip. Under federal law, managers and supervisors generally can’t participate in employee tip pools, although they may keep tips they receive directly for services they solely provide.
Drive-Through Restaurants and Cafes
When you drive through a fast food restaurant or cafe and order through a microphone, you might be asked if you want to add a tip or see tipping as an option when you hand over your card. It can be a kind gesture when your order is large or complicated, but other than that, don’t feel uneasy about paying for only what you bought.
Self-Checkout Kiosks
There’s no one around. You ordered your items on a computer screen, picked up your own purchase and tapped your card for payment. Now you’re being prompted to leave a tip? Some businesses have cut back on staff to make ends meet and replaced human workers with cost-saving technology. This may be the easiest “no” on this list.
Online Purchases
Buying something from a website? Some online merchants are giving you the option to tip. But if you’ve never seen the person and don’t even know where the money is going, this makes no sense. An exception may be a craftsperson who goes out of their way to fulfill a special order.
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When You Should Tip
There are circumstances in which using the automatic tipping function demonstrates proper etiquette, Farley says.
When you’re presented with the tipping screen at the following places — some of which may not have been customary before — it’s best to add a gratuity.
— Sit-down restaurants: Unless something really egregious happened, tip your server, Days says. Restaurant workers tend to make minimum wage or less, so they depend on what you give. “I tip 18% to start, even if service is bad,” she says. “But I usually tip 20% or 25% — and even more if I have extra money. I like the preset percentages because they’re easy to use and show the industry standard.”
— Cafe food and drink: Even if you’re just getting a simple coffee and pastry and then walking out the door, adding a dollar to your order may not be required — but it’s a nice thing to do. For particularly complex orders, it’s good form to tip more.
— Ride-hailing services: When you take an Uber or a Lyft, you’ll be pinged with a suggestion to tip after arriving at your destination. The temptation to ignore that request can be strong, but consider that the driver got you from point A to point B safely — and you didn’t have to drive.
— Deliveries: If you order your food from an app like DoorDash, suggested tips will pop up when you pay — and you should definitely choose one. If you order directly from the restaurant and pay the delivery driver when they ring your bell, include a tip.
— Personal care services: Whether you’re getting your nails done, having your hair cut, getting a tattoo or enjoying a massage, those workers are making you look or feel great. Chances are, they’ll have digital systems that enable you to select a tip, so use one to show your appreciation.
Keep Digital Tipping Positive
Despite the current negative response, tipping screens can be helpful. You can give when you don’t have cash on hand, and the preset suggestions can save you the mental effort of computing the appropriate amount.
Rewarding people you interact with is customary in many situations. But also avoid being manipulated into giving when it doesn’t make sense.
Digital tipping screens aren’t going away anytime soon, but you’re not obligated to use them. However, you may want to hit the ATM before going to the bar so you can be the rare — and memorable — customer who tips with cash.
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When It?s OK to Say No to Automatic Tip Requests originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/17/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
