Self-tipping in the US leaves Americans feeling ‘blackmailed’

Self-checkout lines at airports, cafes, supermarkets and stadiums are now prompting customers to leave a tip in the US. Photo / 123RF

As a country that does not a tipping culture, overseas travel can be a time that has us asking ‘where do I have to tip’, ‘how much should I tip’ or wondering whether things have changed since the pandemic.

If you travel to the US anytime soon, you may be asked to cough up some extra change in a new and unexpected place but don’t feel bad if you decline; many Americans are refusing too.

Self-checkout lines at airports, cafes, supermarkets and stadiums are now prompting customers to leave a tip in the US but even Americans (who are well-accustomed to the process) are hesitant to participate, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The latest development is supposedly part of “tip creep”, whereby larger tips are being pushed in more situations (something that was once reserved for sit-down restaurants) following Covid-19.

People were on board at first, when tipping a service worker acknowledged the risk they were taking to be customer-facing during the pandemic. During this time, a 20 per cent tip become somewhat normal but was on the condition that the person receiving the tip would keep it and benefit.

Self-tipping, where people are given set tip amounts or asked to tip in situations where they did not interact with a person, is a different story.

One that can feel like “emotional blackmail” according to one traveller who spoke with the Journal and was prompted to add a 10 or 20 per cent tip when buying a US$9.50 bottle of water at a Newark Liberty International Airport gift shop.

Another American said tipping when you didn’t receive service was unreasonable.

“Counter-service restaurants aren’t full service. In fact, there’s no service at all,” they wrote on an online forum.

“Tipping shouldn’t even be expected in these situations, as you are expected to tip before you even taste the food.” They suggested a 10 per cent tip for buffet dining and between 15 and 20 per cent for sit-down meals.

Businesses and organisations that use self-checkout tipping disagreed with this interpretation and said tipping was completely optional, adding the money was split between staff members.

However, some Americans are unhappy about the new phenomenon. Especially service workers such as restaurant staff who do not receive a living hourly wage so rely on tips to make money, or those who work for companies who may pocket some tips.

That workers have to rely on tips to earn a living has been a hot topic of conversation in recent years as people question whether a tip (which is an extra and optional payment) should operate as an essential part of people’s livelihood. Rather than pressuring customers to leave tips, some believe businesses should address their workers’ salaries.