Opinion

America needs to stop turning every purchase into an uncomfortable tip request

Businesses are using behavioral marketing to pressure customers instead of honestly raising prices

By Ted Jenkin Fox News

Published August 16, 2026 8:00am EDT

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Tip screen guilt trips have turned American generosity into a surcharge

President of Exit Stage Left Advisors Ted Jenkin joins Fox News Digital to breakdown the increase in tipping costs and surge of tipping screens in restaurants and businesses.

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I have no problem tipping. I love tipping for a job well done. It’s part of American culture.

However, I do have a problem being manipulated into it.

America didn't just create a tipping culture. We’ve created a guilt culture coupled with technology. Somewhere between the pandemic and the explosion of digital payment screens, saying "thank you" quietly became a financial obligation. What used to be a reward for exceptional service has turned into an expectation for simply completing a transaction.

Is there anything more annoying than a takeout employee saying, "The computer just wants to ask you a question?" Guess what, it didn’t ask me how happy I was with the service but instead asked how much I wanted to leave for a tip.

A person selects a custom tip amount on a Miller's Ale House ziosk at a table in........

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