We Are Asked to Tip This Many Times A Week!

We are asked to tip 5 times

  • 60% of consumers say they’re living paycheck to paycheck, but 70% feel guilty if they don’t tip at various establishments
  • Tipping fatigue is causing year-over-year declines in more generous tips (20%+) for restaurant workers, especially delivery drivers—but earning potential for upcoming holidays is looking brighter

5 Tipping Trends to Watch

  1. Consumers feel under pressure: 61% of consumers feel pressure to tip while 70% say they feel guilty if they don’t tip, especially when standing in front of a worker during checkout. More than half (53%) say they are fed up with being asked to tip by so many service providers. 
  1. Tipping is often motivated by protecting one’s rep: When asked if they tipped someone when they didn’t want to or didn’t feel it was necessary, 48% of consumers said they did so because they just wanted to be kind while 43% didn’t want to look like a jerk and 34% didn’t want to look cheap.
  1. Tips of 20% or more for restaurant workers are trending down: 1 in 4 consumers (26%) say they tip restaurant delivery drivers 20% or more, down from 32% in 2022 and 38% in 2021. The percentage of consumers tipping restaurant servers 20% or more (42%) is little changed from last year (43%) but is still down from 56% in 2021.
  1. Consumers expect to spread extra holiday cheer at restaurants this year: 65% of consumers say they tip restaurant staff more over the holidays; 67% expect to tip them 20% or more—29% expect to tip 25% or more.