Tipping in the United States has gotten out of control

Requests to tip on purchased goods and services are increasingly common, and the amount of the traditional tip has been on the rise for decades

During the 1950s, people commonly tipped 10% of the bill. By the 1970s and 1980s, that percentage had jumped to 15%. In 2023, people typically tip anywhere from 15% to 25%. Consumers on average said they tipped more than 21%, according to a Creditcards.com survey in May 2022.

Key takeaways

• The coronavirus pandemic put more upward pressure on tipping. During the height of those days, consumers started tipping for things they never had before to service industry workers;
• If people were willing to give the person delivering food to their home a 30% tip for service, why not ask if they’d like to tip when they come to pick up? Restaurants started doing that more often - and that practice hasn’t ebbed;
• Another reason people are tipping more is because of newer and cooler-looking technologies - kiosks and tablets with three large tipping suggestions that pop up on the screen in front of you.

Get the full story at CNBC