Current:Home > NewsAre Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers. -Wealth Navigators Hub
Are Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers.
View
Date:2025-04-11 14:32:57
A new poll shows that when it comes to tipping, many Americans are shortchanging their servers.
The Pew Research Center poll of 12,000 people, which came out on Thursday, shows that 57 percent of American diners tip 15% or less for a typical sit-down meal, "including 2% who say they wouldn’t leave any tip," Pew researchers wrote.
Only about 22 percent of people said they would leave a tip of 20% or more," Pew found.
Are we at a 'tipping' point?You're not imagining it. How and why businesses get you to tip more
What factors into how Americans are tipping?
The amount that people tip varies depending on their age, income, and other factors, the poll found.
Younger adults are slightly more likely to be more generous with their tips than their older counterparts, who tend to be more conservative with their wallets, the poll found.
For some, the location makes a big difference. At fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle and Sweetgreen, or quick stops at coffee shops, only about 25% of Americans say they will usually or frequently tip, according to Pew.
Time is money:Customers who don't tip DoorDash drivers will wait longer for deliveries, company warns
Americans are upset growing expectations to leave tips
Among concerns of those surveyed was frustration over expectations to leave tips in increasingly more situations outside of restaurants.
According to Pew, 72% of people said that tipping is now expected in more places than five years ago. Only about a third of respondents said they find it easy to determine when and how much to tip for different types of services, like food deliveries and pet sitters.
In hopes of taking out some of the guesswork and ensuring their staff get adequate tips, many bars and nightclubs now include gratuity in the bill, typically ranging from 18 to 25%.
"I'll look at the bill and see a 20 percent gratuity charge," Lawrence Edgerton of New York City told USA TODAY about some of his experiences getting drinks with co-workers.
"Like, how they even know I like the service?" said Edgerton, a membership coordinator at a private club. "In cases like this I don't add an extra tip."
Kaia Grey, a 24-year-old flight attendant in Washington, D.C., says it seems like service fees are the norm at bars, restaurants and lounges in the country's capital.
"I literally can't go anywhere in D.C., and it will be a service fee," she said. "I have to be mindful when ordering because the more I order, the higher the surprise fee is."
Feds investigating:Elections officials in multiple states get fentanyl-laced letters
When to tip?
It's a common practice for most Americans to leave a gratuity when dining at a restaurant, but there seems to be some uncertainty around tipping in other situations. Many people are unclear about when and how much to tip in situations such as hotel stays, haircuts, or rideshares.
“Even as Americans say they’re being asked to tip more often, relatively few have a great deal of confidence about when and how to do so,” Pew researchers said.
veryGood! (9771)
Related
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Clouds of Concern Linger as Wildfires Drag into Flu Season and Covid-19 Numbers Swell
- Biden lays out new path for student loan relief after Supreme Court decision
- The Ultimatum’s Xander Shares What’s Hard to Watch Back in Vanessa Relationship
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- New Study Shows a Vicious Circle of Climate Change Building on Thickening Layers of Warm Ocean Water
- Man, woman injured by bears in separate incidents after their dogs chased the bears
- The Ultimatum’s Xander Shares What’s Hard to Watch Back in Vanessa Relationship
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Solar’s Hitting a Cap in South Carolina, and Jobs Are at Stake by the Thousands
Ranking
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- BMX Rider Pat Casey Dead at 29 After Accident at Motocross Park
- Nine Ways Biden’s $2 Trillion Plan Will Tackle Climate Change
- How did each Supreme Court justice vote in today's student loan forgiveness ruling? Here's a breakdown
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Katherine Heigl Addresses Her “Bad Guy” Reputation in Grey’s Anatomy Reunion With Ellen Pompeo
- Beyoncé Handles Minor Wardrobe Malfunction With Ease During Renaissance Show
- Biden Takes Aim at Reducing Emissions of Super-Polluting Methane Gas, With or Without the Republicans
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
Trump’s Forest Service Planned More Logging in the Yaak Valley, Environmentalists Want Biden To Make it a ‘Climate Refuge’
Elle Fanning Recalls Losing Role in Father-Daughter Film at 16 for Being Unf--kable
Wife of Pittsburgh dentist dies from fatal gunshot on safari — was it an accident or murder?
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Lionel Messi Announces Move to Major League Soccer, Rejecting $400 Million Offer From Saudi Arabia
The Trump Administration Moves to Open Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to Logging
Two Years Ago, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Was Praised for Appointing Science and Resilience Officers. Now, Both Posts Are Vacant.