A closer look at self-service prompts
Tipping at Self-Checkout: Why It Annoys People and What to Know
A self-checkout tip prompt can feel strange because the customer is scanning, bagging, and paying without a traditional service interaction. Tip Creep Tracker collects dated examples so you can see what was shown and where.
A quick, plain-English guide · about 4 minutes
01
What counts as a self-checkout report?
We look for a specific place, a date or source date, and a clear description of the screen. A report may include the suggested percentages, whether a no-tip option was visible, and a photo or video from the original source.
02
Why the exact screen matters
Checkout software can vary by store, terminal, airport, or franchise. One report documents one checkout at one moment. It is evidence of what was shown, not a claim that every location uses the same prompt.
03
What to look for
The details that help most are the location, the date, the tip buttons, and whether the prompt appeared before or after service. Photos are helpful but optional when you submit a report.
04
A kiosk prompt and a staffed counter prompt are different
Some “self-checkout” reports still involve staff preparing food, stocking shelves, or helping at pickup. The archive does not assume that those roles disappear; it records what the customer did, where the prompt appeared, and what the screen showed.
05
How to spot a genuinely confusing screen
Look for a tip selected before the customer touches anything, percentages that do not explain their base, a no-tip option hidden behind extra steps, or a prompt appearing before the order is received. Each is a different pattern, not one catch-all complaint.
Preselected-tip reports →No-tip option glossary →Custom-tip-required reports →