Acknowledgments

This report is made possible by The Pew Charitable Trusts. It is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals. Primary research team Drew DeSilver, Senior Writer/EditorJordan Lippert, Research AssistantJohn Gramlich, Associate DirectorRebecca Leppert, Copy EditorAnna Jackson, Editorial AssistantKatherine Schaeffer, Research AnalystJenn Hatfield, Writer/Editor Editorial and graphic design David Kent,…

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Methodology

The American Trends Panel survey methodology Overview The American Trends Panel (ATP), created by Pew Research Center, is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. Panelists participate via self-administered web surveys. Panelists who do not have internet access at home are provided with a tablet and wireless internet connection. Interviews are conducted in…

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4. Factors affecting whether and how much Americans tip

Above all, tipping is a question of service for most Americans. Around three-quarters of adults (77%) say the quality of the service is a major factor when deciding whether and how much to tip, while 18% say it is a minor factor. Only 5% don’t consider it a factor at all. Far smaller shares point…

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3. Services Americans do and don’t tip for – and how much

The largest share of Americans (49%) say the decision about whether to tip or not depends on the situation. To explore this sentiment further, we asked Americans whether they’d leave a tip in seven specific scenarios that are common in daily life. Americans report tipping at sit-down restaurants more regularly than in any other scenario…

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2. How Americans see recent developments in tipping

The COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent labor shortages and supply chain problems, a burst of inflation and new payment technologies have upended large swaths of the service economy – including the tipped sectors. And a large majority of Americans have perceived a shift in the nation’s tipping culture in recent years. Overall, 72% of U.S. adults say…

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1. How Americans feel about the basics of tipping

In the United States, the practice of leaving gratuities began in the late 1800s and was well established by the Roaring Twenties (read “A brief history of tipping in the United States”). Despite this long history with tipping, Americans express ambivalence or uncertainty on a variety of questions related to it. Is tipping more a…

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Tipping Culture in America: Public Sees a Changed Landscape

72% of U.S. adults say tipping is expected in more places today than it was five years ago. But even as Americans say they’re being asked to tip more often, only about a third say it’s extremely or very easy to know whether (34%) or how much (33%) to tip for various services. The post…

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