"I’m Not Cheap, I Swear!" One Diner’s Tipping Dilemma Has The Internet Divided

Reddit user u/GoingS0l0 wants to clear something up immediately: they are not anti-tipping. In fact, they come from a family of service workers and typically treat 20% like the starting line, not the finish line.

Their mom works as a waitress, and the OP has done time in food service too. They happily tip servers, delivery drivers, hair stylists, apartment maintenance staff — basically anyone whose job depends on it.

But lately, something has been bugging them. Those sleek tablet-style registers that swivel around with a cheerful “Add a tip?” prompt are popping up everywhere.

And suddenly, tipping feels less like gratitude and more like a pop quiz. The OP finds themselves manually tapping “0%” for certain transactions and immediately wondering if they’ve committed a social crime.

Take today’s situation. They ordered food for pickup, walked to the restaurant themselves, and were greeted with a suggested 15% tip.

No table service. No delivery. Just a bag handed over the counter.

The OP can’t help but think: if they walked there and the staff simply assembled the order, is a tip mandatory? Especially when sales tax plus a 20% tip can make the total jump close to 30%.

They point out that no one tips the person bagging groceries. So why is assembling a sandwich suddenly tip-worthy?

Now they’re turning to the internet jury. Are they wrong for occasionally refusing to tip — and how on earth is anyone supposed to know when it’s expected?

The OP finds themselves manually tapping “0%” for certain transactions and immediately wondering if they’ve committed a social crime.

BBC

Here's the original post by Reddit user u/GoingS0l0.

Right off the bat I think people will get the wrong impression about my tipping habits. My mother works as a waitress and I have worked in food service so certain professions I tip generously and typically consider 20% to be the minimum even for poor service. I always tip waitstaff, the maintenance staff at my apartment, delivery drivers, hair stylists, etc. More and more however I have noticed that as the new kind of electronic cash registers become more prevalent (the kind that look like a tablet on a swivel.), I keep finding myself manually setting the percentage to 0 for things that I really don't think I should tip for. Today for example, I ordered food for pick up, walked to the place and found that they had a suggested tip of 15%. I genuinely don't know if I'm in the wrong here but I feel like since I walked to the store, and they just assembled it, a tip is not warranted and that it's suddenly being treated almost like a tax that combined with sales tax adds 30% (10% sales tax + 20% tip). You don't tip the guy who bags your groceries, why tip the people who assemble the food? So, AITA for occasionally refusing to tip? And if AITA, how do I determine when to tip? EDIT 0: How do you guys feel about Subway sandwich style places? The type where you stand on the other side of a glass partition and someone assembles your food while you tell them what you want? I typically only tip of they recommend something or give me something extra(not that I ask for free extras or anything)

Let's see how the Reddit community reacted.

Deleted user

NTA.

kanap

It's totally acceptable not to tip if the service wasn't amazing.

ErrantJune

To hell with that!

Quannoi

That shouldn't be a thing.

stunning-stasis

You only need to tip for sit down service.

commissionerdre

They don’t rely on tips for their paycheck.

nanettehimmelfarb

Okay, but what kind of restaurant was it?

nafafonafafofo

No need to tip for pickup.

GreatWhiteNorthExtra

I do the same thing.

Saywhatwant

No service, no tip.

your_gender_my_taint

YTA.

actualdisasterbi

Someone still had to put the food in a box.

evnthlosrsgtlcky

Whether you’re a firm believer in 20% across the board or someone who pauses at the swivel screen and reconsiders, one thing’s clear: tipping culture is evolving fast. As digital prompts become the norm and suggested percentages creep higher, more people are quietly wondering where generosity ends and obligation begins.

For the OP, it’s not about being stingy — it’s about clarity. And judging by the heated responses online, they’re far from the only one trying to figure out the new rules of gratitude in a world where even grabbing your own takeout can come with a side of guilt.