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Home › Pay › Nickel-and-dime tactics › Tip requests everywhere
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Tip screens everywhere: when you should and shouldn't tip

Tip requests used to show up mostly at sit-down restaurants. Now a screen may ask for a tip when you buy a muffin, pick up takeout or even use a self-checkout kiosk. Tipping is always your choice, and the screen is designed to make saying no feel awkward. This page explains how these screens work and how to decide what to give.

Where you’ll see it

Counter service tip screensSome coffee shops and bakeries turn the payment screen toward you with buttons like 18, 20 and 25 percent before you have received anything.
Self-checkout and kiosk promptsSome kiosks and self-serve machines ask for a tip even though you placed the order and did most of the work yourself.
Takeout and pickup ordersMany restaurant apps and websites ask for a tip on pickup orders, where no one waits on your table. Some preselect a tip amount for you.
Percentages figured on the higher totalSome tip screens figure the percentage on the total after tax and fees, which makes each suggested tip a little bigger than you may expect.
Big preset buttons, small No TipSome screens show large buttons for high percentages and put the no-tip or custom option in a smaller spot, or on a second screen.
Service charges that look like tipsSome restaurants add a service charge to the bill, then still show a tip line. A service charge is not always paid to your server.

What it really costs them

Adding a tip prompt to a card reader is mostly a software setting. It costs the business almost nothing, and it can bring in extra money that partly replaces raises or a higher posted price. The payment screen does the asking, so no one has to.

To be fair, many workers earn low base pay and count on tips, and tips can make a real difference to them. The issue is not tipping itself. It is being asked to tip in places where little or no table service happened, with high preset numbers that make you feel rushed.

How to spot it

  • The screen turns toward you before you have received your order.
  • Preset buttons start at 18 or 20 percent or higher.
  • The No Tip or custom option is small or hidden on another screen.
  • A service charge is already on the bill, and a tip line appears too.
  • An app preselects a tip on a pickup or delivery order.
  • The suggested percentage is figured on the total after tax and fees.

What you can do

  1. Decide your tipping rules ahead of time so you are not pressured at the screen.
  2. Use the custom or No Tip option when no table service was given.
  3. Read the bill for a service charge before adding a tip on top of it.
  4. Ask whether a service charge goes to staff. If it does, you may not need to add more.
  5. Tip in cash when you want to be sure the worker gets it.
  6. Check app orders for preselected tips and change them before you pay.
Things you can say:
  • “Is a service charge already included in this bill?”
  • “Does the service charge go to the staff?”
  • “Where is the option for a custom amount?”

Rules and your rights

There is no law requiring you to tip, and asking for a tip is generally legal. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, employers, managers and supervisors may not keep any part of employees' tips, except tips a manager earns directly for service they personally give. If you think a business is keeping workers' tips, you can contact the U.S. Department of Labor. Misleading fees or charges can be reported to the FTC or your state attorney general.

Related common problems

Related guides

Common questions

Do I have to tip when a screen asks me to?

No. A tip is always optional. The screen is just a prompt, and you can choose No Tip or enter a custom amount. Many people tip at sit-down restaurants and for personal services, and decide case by case at counters and kiosks. Choose what feels fair for the service you actually got.

Is a service charge the same as a tip?

Not always. A service charge is a fee the business adds to your bill, and the business decides how it is used. It may or may not go to the person who served you. Ask the business how the charge is used before deciding whether to add a separate tip on top of it.

Why do tip screens suggest such high percentages?

The business chooses the preset amounts when it sets up its payment system. Higher presets usually lead to bigger tips, because many people tap the middle button. Some screens also figure the percentage on the total after tax. You can always ignore the presets and enter your own amount.

Had this happen? Sharing what you were charged helps others spot it.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #15, Tipped Employees Under the FLSA ↗

General consumer information, not legal or financial advice. Practices and prices change; check the business’s current terms. AblePro has no relationship with any company named here.