Tipping rules were already complicated in 2013. CouponCabin's survey from that year showed that discounts, service quality, and tip-jar settings all changed how Americans decided what to leave. Here is what the survey found and how tipping behavior looks now.
Key Findings From the 2013 Survey
Coupons and daily deals changed how some people tipped. Among U.S. adults who tip and use coupons or daily deals, 26% said they tip on the discounted total. That cuts the amount the service provider receives.
A smart shopper knows a coupon cuts the bill, not the service. Tip on the full pre-discount total so the server is paid for the actual work, not the reduced price.
Service quality drove tip decisions.
30% said they do not tip when they receive less than average service.
50% said they leave a small tip to make a point when service is subpar.
Restaurant tipping depended more on service than price.
51% said they tip based solely on the service they receive.
25% said they do not tip more at fancy or expensive restaurants.
16% said they do tip more at expensive or fancy restaurants.
8% said they do not dine at those types of restaurants.
Tip jars were already common.
59% of U.S. adults said they leave extra change or money in a tip jar at least sometimes.
41% said they rarely or never do.
Here were the typical restaurant tip amounts for average service in 2013.
51% typically tipped 16% or higher.
32% tipped 11% to 15%.
14% tipped 10% or less.
Where Americans Felt Obligated to Tip in 2013
When asked which services they typically felt obligated to tip, U.S. adults reported:
- Restaurant staff, including wait staff and takeout: 87%
- Hairstylist: 69%
- Bartender: 62%
- Taxi, car, or limo driver: 60%
- Valet: 54%
- Bellhop: 52%
- Beauty treatment provider, including manicures, pedicures, and waxing: 41%
- Home delivery for furniture, appliances, and similar items: 38%
- Spa treatment provider, including massages, facials, and skin treatments: 35%
- Restroom attendant: 22%
What Has Changed Since 2013
Tipping is now more visible, more frequent, and more contested. Digital checkout screens pushed tip prompts into transactions that historically never involved gratuity. Consumers are also pushing back harder. Bankrate found in 2025 that 63% of Americans held at least one negative view about tipping, including complaints that tipping culture has gotten out of control. At the same time, tipping remains strong in traditional full-service restaurants. Toast reported a 19.2% average tip at full-service restaurants in the fourth quarter of 2025. Tipping did not disappear. It spread into more places, showed up with more pressure, and created more disagreement about where it belongs.
Use older tipping data as a reminder of how much tip expectations have spread, then set firm rules for your own spending. Keep tipping 18% to 20% for traditional service jobs like sit-down restaurants, delivery and personal care. But when a tablet asks for a tip at a counter, retail checkout or self-service station, do not treat it like an obligation. If there is no real service involved, it is fine to select no tip.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from March 22 through March 26, 2013, among 2,130 adults ages 18 and older, including 735 single adults. This online survey was not based on a probability sample, so no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
How to Use This Survey Today
Use this survey as a benchmark, not a rule book. The 2013 results show where tipping norms stood before app-based services, tablet checkout prompts, and widespread tip-screen culture changed the landscape. For current spending decisions, separate traditional service settings from digital prompt fatigue and judge each tip request by the service provided, the fees already charged, and the context of the transaction.
previous
