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.
How this was calculated
This is a dated selection of 2026 reports from known locations, chosen from the published archive rather than a ranking of entire businesses. Each row links to one source-backed report.
Only approved, non-demo reports with a known city and state are included. Placeholder locations such as “Location not reported,” “Online,” and “N/A” are excluded. Duplicates and pending submissions are excluded. This is descriptive archive data, not a survey of all U.S. businesses.
What stands out
The list contains 25 published 2026 reports from named places. It is a view of what reached this archive, not a claim that these are the only unusual prompts or that a business uses the same screen everywhere.
This is an editorial reading of the current archive, not a causal claim. As more reports arrive or corrections are made, the takeaway can change.
What each row means: a dated report from a named place. “What happened” is a short summary from the report; tip choices are shown only when the source included them.
| Reported place | City and state | What happened | Tip choices shown | Report date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver airport self-serve coffee kiosk asked for a tip | Denver, CO | News articleA traveler filmed a staff-free grab-and-go coffee checkout at Denver International Airport asking whether he wanted to leave a tip. The machine used a camera to identify the item and charge the customer; the source article embeds the TikTok video and says no employee helped with the purchase. | Not reported | Aug 29, 2026 |
| New York restaurant added a 20% gratuity before asking for another tip | New York, NY | RedditA customer in New York said a QR-code restaurant added a 20% gratuity by default and then presented another tip request. The post did not identify the restaurant. | 20% | Aug 20, 2026 |
| Bri’Zan Couture: Naperville | Naperville, IL | Public sourceA public WeddingWire review reported a 20% tip prompt after a roughly $2,000 wedding-dress purchase. | 20% | Aug 19, 2026 |
| TT’s Old Iron Brewery: Spokane Valley | Spokane Valley, WA | Public sourceA public TripAdvisor review described a tip screen where customers ordered at a counter, received food on a tray, and cleared their own table. | Not reported | Aug 19, 2026 |
| Pour Taproom: Charleston | Charleston, SC | Public sourceA public TripAdvisor review described a tip screen after customers poured their own drinks. | Not reported | Aug 19, 2026 |
| Downtown Corner Store: Asheville | Asheville, NC | RedditA shopper reported that a downtown Asheville corner store showed a tip prompt while ringing up packaged snacks and drinks. The store was not named. | Not reported | Aug 17, 2026 |
| Dave’s Hot Chicken: Boston Logan Terminal B | Boston, MA | RedditA traveler reported that the pin pad required a tip choice before tap-to-pay, offering 15%, 18%, 21%, and Other without displaying the dollar amount. | 15% · 18% · 21% | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Shake Shack: Salt Lake City Airport | Salt Lake City, UT | News articleA customer video showed prices changing after they declined a tip at a Salt Lake City airport kiosk. Shake Shack said this was not its policy and traced it to a one-off configuration at the licensed airport location. | Not reported | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Airport Check-In Desk: MCO | Orlando, FL | RedditA traveler reported a tip request at a check-in desk at Orlando International Airport. | Not reported | Aug 10, 2026 |
| Lincoln Financial Field: Bottled Water Kiosk | Philadelphia, PA | RedditA venue guest reported a tip request after paying $10 for bottled water at “Lincoln field.” | Not reported | Aug 10, 2026 |
| Rum Store: St. Michaels | St. Michaels, MD | Firsthand reportA customer reported tip choices of 10%, 15%, and 20% while buying rum at a store in St. Michaels, Maryland. | 10% · 15% · 20% | Aug 9, 2026 |
| Airport Self-Service Store: AUS | Austin, TX | RedditA customer reported buying a bottle of soda at a self-service store at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and finding an 18% tip already selected. | 18% | Aug 9, 2026 |
| Busch Stadium: Tip Prompt for a Self-Serve Beer | St. Louis, MO | RedditA commenter said a Busch Stadium checkout asked for a tip after the customer grabbed a beer from a cooler and tapped to pay. The original post was removed, but the location-specific comment remained available. No suggested amounts were reported. | Not reported | Aug 8, 2026 |
| Earthbar at Equinox: Smoothie Kiosk Tip Prompt | New York, NY | RedditA commenter said an Earthbar kiosk inside an Equinox in New York City asked for a tip while ordering a smoothie. The commenter noted that the smoothie already cost $15. The exact Equinox location and suggested amounts were not reported. | Not reported | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Popeyes: Great Lakes Crossing | Auburn Hills, MI | News articleA published article reports that a Popeyes kiosk displayed 10%, 15%, no-tip, and custom choices; the article notes that additional choices were cropped from the source photo. | 10% · 15% | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Popeyes: Self-Service Kiosk Tip Test | Auburn Hills, MI | News articleA customer photographed a Popeyes self-service kiosk in a Michigan mall asking for a tip. Popeyes later said the feature was a limited test at roughly 12 food-court locations, not a nationwide rollout. | 10% · 15% | Jul 26, 2026 |
| Boat and Tubing Rental: New Hampshire | Lake Winnipesaukee, NH | RedditWhile booking a one-hour tubing and wakeboarding trip, a customer reported being told that the price covered the equipment and fuel but that they would need to tip the captain and helper. The operator was not named. | Not reported | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Best Buy: Tip Screen for a Phone Charger | Danvers, MA | RedditA Reddit poster shared a photo and said a Best Buy register in Danvers, Massachusetts offered 18%, 20%, and 22% gratuity while they bought a phone charger. Other commenters disputed whether this was a normal store flow, so the report is limited to the pictured checkout. | 18% · 20% · 22% | Jul 23, 2026 |
| Orlando Convention Center: Tip Prompt at Self-Checkout | Orlando, FL | RedditA commenter described self-service drinks and food warmers at an Orlando convention center, followed by a tip prompt at self-checkout. The commenter said workers stocked the warmers but did not provide made-to-order service. The exact venue was not identified. | Not reported | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Tampa Airport: Tip Prompt for Self-Serve Water | Tampa, FL | RedditA commenter reported a tip prompt while buying a roughly $6 bottle of water at a self-service kiosk at Tampa International Airport. The commenter said no workers were involved and did not give the suggested amounts. | Not reported | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Salt Lake City Airport: Tip Prompt for Self-Serve Water | Salt Lake City, UT | RedditA traveler said a self-service kiosk at Salt Lake City International Airport asked for a tip on a bottle of water even though no worker helped with the purchase. The suggested amounts were not reported. | Not reported | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Airport Self-Checkout: SYR | Syracuse, NY | RedditA photo shows a self-checkout for a bottled drink displaying “Tip the Staff” with 18%, 20%, and 22% choices and a visible “No tip, thanks” option. | 18% · 20% · 22% | Jul 11, 2026 |
| Tipping In Seattle Has Gone Too Far | Seattle, WA | News articleA photo or screenshot in Bored Panda’s July 2026 visual roundup documents this report under the title “Tipping In Seattle Has Gone Too Far.” The roundup links to the original post (https://www.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/comments/1mh29z3/tipping_in_seattle_has_gone_too_far/). The business and location were not independently confirmed. | Not reported | Jul 6, 2026 |
| Airport Transfer In Cancun. Tipped Driver $1 USD. He Declined And Gave It Back. The Sign Suggests $20 LOL | Cancun, Quintana Roo | News articleA photo or screenshot in Bored Panda’s July 2026 visual roundup documents this report under the title “Airport Transfer In Cancun. Tipped Driver $1 USD. He Declined And Gave It Back. The Sign Suggests $20 LOL.” The roundup links to the original post (https://www.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/comments/1shasow/airport_transfer_in_cancun_tipped_driver_1_usd_he/). The business and location were not independently confirmed. | Not reported | Jul 6, 2026 |
| Seen In Nw Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas, AR | News articleA photo or screenshot in Bored Panda’s July 2026 visual roundup documents this report under the title “Seen In Nw Arkansas.” The roundup links to the original post (https://www.reddit.com/r/EndTipping/comments/1sa06pt/seen_in_nw_arkansas/). The business and location were not independently confirmed. | Not reported | Jul 6, 2026 |
What this page can and cannot tell you
It can show how the published archive is distributed by place, time, setting, and prompt details. It cannot estimate the true rate of tipping requests across all businesses, prove that a business-wide policy exists, or replace the original source. Use the links above to inspect individual reports before repeating a statistic.
See the underlying reports. Browse the archive or add a documented report.