4 times when it's OK not to tip (2024)

FAQs

When to tip, when not to tip? ›

“While there are no hard-and-fast rules about when to leave a gratuity, it's generally accepted that servers in bars and restaurants should be tipped. The same is true for other service providers such as barbers and hairdressers. Other than that, it truly is at the discretion of the customer,” she says.

Chances are high that they will do everything they can to make you happy. Servers might comp your meal (give it to you for free), send your table dessert, or, at the very least, offer you a sincere apology. If you get confronted for not leaving an adequate tip, understand that this is normal.

Lizzie Post, co-host of "Awesome Etiquette" podcast and great-great-granddaughter of etiquette icon Emily Post, tells "Nightcap's" Jon Sarlin that consumers should have confidence when they're leaving a tip, not fear or guilt.

If it's fast food or you're grabbing a pre-packaged item from a shelf, Farley says you don't need to tip. But in other cases, especially if the order is for more than one person, you should leave at least a 10-15% gratuity.

By then, tipping was enshrined, as etiquette guides gave consumers advice on how much to tip, starting at a quarter, then rising over the years to 10%, and finally to our current 15% to 20%.

California law requires that employees receive the minimum wage plus any tips left for them by patrons of the employer's business. Labor Code Section 351.

Tip fatigue is the newest term for the growing frustration and exhaustion customers feel from being constantly prompted to tip. Although, it's not just the tipping itself. It's the context in which people are being asked for a tip.

As a blanket rule, you don't need to tip anyone who earns a salary or performs a trade. That means you don't have to tip doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers or cable technicians. “Not only would it not be expected, it would be highly unorthodox and very awkward,” says Farley.

Do you feel a ping of awkwardness or pressure when you see a tip request pop up on a screen at the end of a transaction? In other words, are you guilt tipping? You're not alone. Americans spend nearly $500 a year tipping more than they'd like to, according to a new study.

A majority of Americans say they would tip 15% or less for an average meal at a sit-down restaurant. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) say this, including 2% who say they wouldn't leave any tip. Only a quarter of people say they'd tip 20% or more.

What happens if you don't tip? ›

Having said that we are a culture where tipping is simply part of the culture, just as brushing your teeth in the morning is part of what we usually do. No one will chase you down the street. You won't get any less service than if you tipped, although they will remember you if you tip 20% and return for another go!

'There's this very awkward social component' to tipping now

That has left some people feeling like they don't know how much to tip anymore. About 15% of people say they're confused about how much to tip and who to tip, according to Bankrate's survey.

Just as in Japan, it is not customary to tip in China. Tipping in China is generally uncommon and can even be considered rude or embarrassing in some circ*mstances so when taking a taxi, enjoying a refreshing drink or tucking into a delicious meal there's no requirement to leave any gratuities.

No. Customers cannot refuse to pay automatic gratuity since the payment is a service charge. Tips are optional and freely given by customers, but charges on the receipt from the restaurant itself are mandatory fees. Not paying the automatic gratuity is the same as not paying for the food.

It's up to you to decide whether or not to tip and how much. But Shubhranshu Singh, a marketing professor at Johns Hopkins University, likes to leave a 10% tip. If an establishment is asking for a tip, it's often an indication that the workers there are not getting paid a minimum wage.