CreditCards.com, 73% of Americans said they intend on tipping at a sit-down restaurant. But that number is down 77% compared to tipping numbers in 2019.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents to the survey said they will always tip delivery drivers, a 63% decrease from how Americans tipped in 2019. "While more than a third of Americans pledged to become better tippers in 2020 and 2021, it seems that sentiment has worn off," said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. "Inflation is cutting into consumers’ purchasing power and a tight labor market has left many service industry businesses understaffed and struggling to provide top-notch customer experiences."A separate report from The Wall Street Journal found that overall, the amount of tips workers make is on the decline.
One reason tips may be decreasing is due to more businesses using online apps to make appointments and accept payments. When customers pay with cash, they tend to tip more.
Many online payment services calculate tips based on percentages, which might be lower than the amount most people would generally think to tip for a service.One barber who spoke with The Wall Street Journal explained that a customer who usually tipped heavily for haircuts recently made their first payment through the business' new app.