Nearly half of Americans say tipping has ‘gotten out of control’

Sixteen percent of people said they’d pay higher prices if tipping were eliminated

With those tipping screens now seemingly everywhere, Americans think that the practice has “gotten out of control,” according to a new survey.

At least 63 percent of US residents now having a negative view of tipping, up from 59 percent last year, according to Bankrate, a financial publisher and comparison service.

Yet, the number of Americans who have gotten used to tipping has gone up since the COVID-19 pandemic, when it slipped. There have not been significant declines in tips for service providers, the survey noted, particularly for hairdressers and restaurant servers.

“Tipping is part of the American way of life — it's not going away anytime soon, as much as we may grumble about it,” said Ted Rossman, a Bankrate senior industry analyst.

Still, opinions vary. One survey respondent said: “I feel like businesses should pay their employees better rather than relying so much on tips.” 41 percent agreed with that point, up from 37 percent a year ago.

The high cost of living has resulted in at least 63 percent of US residents having a negative view of tipping (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Another said, “tipping culture has gotten out of control.” Another 41 percent of people agreed with that, up from 35 percent last year.

Thirty-eight percent of US residents also said they were annoyed with pre-entered tip screens, an increase from 34 percent last year.

Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they were less likely to tip when presented with pre-entered tip screens. Twenty-five percent of people said the same thing a year ago. Only 11 percent of respondents said they tipped more in those scenarios, a decrease of 14 percent.

Older individuals, like Gen Zers and boomers, had a tendency to tip more than their younger counterparts, specifically millennials and Gen Zers.

“The high cost of living is a headwind, and many people resent all of the tip creep that has occurred in recent years, with us being asked for tips in previously unconventional settings,” Rossman said in a statement.

When asked about the possibility of getting rid of tipping altogether, 16 percent of people said they would be willing to pay higher prices if tipping were eliminated, an increase of 14 percent.

Another 14 percent of people said they were confused about who and how much to tip, up from 11 percent.

Ten percent of people said they would always tip regardless of the quality of service, which is the same amount as last year.

A percentage of Americans aren’t expected to face the tip screens as much. About two in five Americans, or 39 percent, expect to spend less on dining out this year, according to Bankrate’s 2025 discretionary spending survey.

That pivot could likely hurt servers’ bottom line. At least 35 percent of restaurant goers tip at least 20 percent at sit-down restaurants, which is down from 37 percent last year.

Only 58 percent said the amount they tipped was mostly influenced by the quality of the service, down from 64 percent.

Additionally, 26 percent said they felt good when they left a generous tip, down from 29 percent last year.

Hair stylists/barbers, coffee shop baristas and home services/repair people saw a decline in tips compared to last year. Fifteen percent of respondents said they always tipped furniture/appliance delivery workers.