Useful context
Pick a topic or search for the situation you ran into. Every guide points back to dated reports and the original sources behind them.
Find what you need
25 guides
A closer look at self-service prompts
Tipping at self-checkout can feel absurd when you scan, bag, and pay yourself. See why people dislike it, what the screens show, and the reports behind the pattern.
Read the guideTips, taxes, and added fees
Understand the difference between a tip, tax, service charge, and a tip prompt that appears to include existing fees.
Read the guideWhen the buttons keep climbing
Explore reports with suggested tip percentages of 30% or more, including preselected and before-service prompts.
Read the guideWhen a regular purchase gets a tip screen
Documented examples of tip prompts at retail counters, merchandise booths, wedding dress shops, and other product purchases.
Read the guideTips and tax
A tip on tax can make a suggested gratuity higher than expected. Learn what to check on the receipt and browse documented reports.
Read the guideTips and fees
A plain-language guide to service charges, additional tip prompts, and the reports that document the difference.
Read the guideAirport tipping
Tipping at airports: documented reports from kiosks, restaurants, retail counters, and grab-and-go shops, plus the rules and questions behind the prompts.
Read the guideRetail and weddings
A focused guide to tipping prompts during major product purchases, including wedding dresses and bridal appointments.
Read the guideCar washes
How to understand tip prompts at self-service and staffed car washes, with links to documented reports.
Read the guideHome and personal services
A guide to tip prompts at home repair, cleaning, plumbing, and other services outside traditional restaurant tipping.
Read the guideRetail tipping
Examples and context for tip prompts at stores, merchandise counters, and ordinary product purchases.
Read the guideKiosk tipping
A practical guide to tip prompts on self-order kiosks, including timing, defaults, and how to document the screen.
Read the guideCleaning services
A practical guide to tipping a house cleaner or cleaning service, including when a tip screen appears after an agreed price.
Read the guideAuto repair
A guide to mechanic tips, repair invoices, shop fees, and card-reader prompts after auto work.
Read the guideMed spas
A guide to med-spa tipping prompts, payment screens, and the difference between a professional service and a checkout default.
Read the guidePickup orders
A guide to pickup-order tips, app prompts, counter payment screens, and the difference between pickup and delivery.
Read the guideIncluded gratuity
A practical guide to included gratuity, service charges, extra tip prompts, and how to read the final bill.
Read the guideAutomatic gratuity
A plain-language explanation of automatic gratuity, service charges, mandatory fees, and separate tip prompts.
Read the guideTipflation explained
A simple explanation of tipflation: more tip prompts, higher suggestions, and tipping in places that once did not ask.
Read the guidePlumbing and home repair
A clear guide to plumbing tips, invoices, service charges, and card-reader tip prompts after home repairs.
Read the guideMoving services
A guide to moving tips, service charges, hourly labor, and tip prompts after a moving job.
Read the guideTakeout and pickup
A plain-language guide to takeout tipping, counter-service prompts, pickup orders, and tip requests before food is ready.
Read the guideBarbers and salons
A guide to barber-shop tipping prompts, suggested percentages, and the difference between service etiquette and a pushy checkout screen.
Read the guideNail salons
A guide to nail-salon tip prompts, suggested percentages, and what to check before a tip is added at payment.
Read the guideService charges explained
The difference between a service charge, automatic gratuity, tip, and a separate tip prompt at checkout.
Read the guideNothing matches that yet. Try “tip,” “service,” or a place such as “airport.”
Have a quick question? Read the tip creep FAQ → or look up a term in the glossary →