3 in 4 Americans think tipping has gotten out of control, survey finds

Is tipping at a tipping point?

Traditionally, 15 percent was an average tip, with 20 percent for excellent service. Now, the suggested tips on many restaurant bills include 22 percent, 25 percent and even 30 percent. As FOX News correspondent Jonathan Serrie reports, it's a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

LOS ANGELES - With rising prices and stubborn inflation rates, Americans are no stranger to the recent phenomenon of "tipping fatigue."

In fact, around 75% of Americans express concerns about the spiraling unmanageable tipping culture, with over 50% of consumers suspecting that businesses are substituting employee wages with customer tips, according to a WalletHub

The survey, published on March 13, revealed that half of respondents said they tip solely because of social pressure.

This is not the only data that highlights the frustrations consumers have when it comes to tipping expectations.

In a separate survey conducted by CouponBirds, an online consumer platform, nearly 80% of respondents say businesses in which self-service machines ask for tips is "going to far."

A Square payment device at a coffee shop in the Union Market district in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The findings of this survey align closely with those of the WalletHub survey.

CouponBirds reports that more than 75% of surveyed Americans feel that tipping norms have become excessive, highlighting the rising prevalence of gratuity requests at self-service kiosks, convenience stores, and similar establishments.

"Shockingly, 39.7 percent have been told upfront that they would receive a worse service if they didn't tip - and 20 percent have experienced a situation where tipping was compulsory," the survey said.

The findings underscore the growing frustrations among Americans regarding "tipflation," the phenomenon of feeling pressured to tip in places where tipping was previously not customary.

Now, more Americans acknowledge tipping out of guilt rather than for exemplary service. Additionally, two-thirds of respondents confessed to tipping primarily to avoid potential discomfort or conflict with employees, while nearly 60% reported instances of servers displaying aggressive behavior when they did not leave a sufficiently high tip or any tip at all.

FOX Business contributed to this story.