Tip creep
The spread of tip requests into more places, services, and checkout moments than people traditionally associate with tipping.
Plain-English definitions
The tip creep glossary
Not sure what a report means by “tip on tax” or “preselected tip”? Here are the terms we use across the tracker, with links to the patterns and guides that show them in the wild.
Tip prompt
A screen, receipt, tablet, or checkout step that asks a customer to choose a tip amount.
Tipflation
The steady increase in suggested tip amounts or percentages, including prompts that start at unusually high levels.
Tip before service
A tip request shown before the customer receives the product or service.
Preselected tip
A tip amount or percentage that is already selected until the customer changes it.
Default tip
The tip amount the checkout presents as the starting or recommended choice. A default is not necessarily preselected, so the report should say what the customer saw.
Very high tip option
A prompt with at least one suggested percentage of 30% or more.
Self-service tip
A tip request attached to a self-checkout, kiosk, vending, or other customer-operated transaction.
Counter-service tip
A tip request at a counter or pickup point where the customer orders or collects the item without table service.
Tip on tax
A suggested tip calculated on a total that includes sales tax.
Tip on service charge
A suggested tip calculated on a total that already includes a service charge or similar fee.
Automatic gratuity
An amount added to a bill before the customer chooses any extra tip. A receipt may use different wording, so the label and full payment flow matter.
Custom tip required
A checkout flow where declining or changing the suggested tip requires extra taps, a custom amount, or another deliberate step.
Custom tip
A customer-entered amount rather than one of the preset buttons. A custom field can be optional, or it can be the only visible way to enter zero.
No-tip option
A visible way to choose zero tip. The archive records when a source says it was missing, hard to find, or required extra interaction.
Source strength
How directly a report is supported, from a first-hand submission or photo to a documented article or public post.
Staff pick
A report selected by the Tip Creep Tracker team because it clearly illustrates an unusual or important pattern.
Verified report
A report reviewed for a usable source, date, location, and enough detail to publish in the archive.
Want the examples? Browse the tracked patterns or read the guides.