Unusual places
The 25 strangest places people were asked to tip in 2026
A dated selection of 2026 reports from unexpected settings, with the place, location, source, and original report kept together.
See the data →Original analysis
What the reports show
These pages turn reports from known, named locations into simple, reproducible snapshots. Placeholder entries such as “Location not reported,” “Online,” and “N/A” are left out. Each page states its sample size, date range, method, and limitations. They describe published reports; they do not claim to measure every checkout in America.
Tip amounts
Which checkout settings show the highest suggested tips?
A comparison of the suggested percentage buttons recorded across checkout settings in the Tip Creep Tracker archive.
See the data →Checkout comparison
Self-checkout versus counter service: what the reports show
A source-linked comparison of tip prompts at self-checkouts, kiosks, and staffed counter-service settings.
See the data →Geography
States with the fastest report growth
Where published reports increased most compared with the previous year, using the same archive rules throughout.
See the data →Tip amounts
Average suggested tip by setting
How suggested percentages differ across self-service, counter-service, retail, and other settings.
See the data →Timing
Where tip prompts appear before service
A look at published reports where the tip prompt appeared before the customer received the product or service.
See the data →Tipflation
Tip prompts above 25% by year
A year-by-year view of reports with a suggested percentage above 25%, with the threshold kept consistent.
See the data →Context
Retail versus service tipping
A comparison of the archive’s retail and service reports, including sample sizes and the limits of the comparison.
See the data →Trend
Monthly tip-creep trend
Published report volume by month, based on the date the prompt was observed where available.
See the data →