Older patrons, women most reliable tippers: Survey

Story at a glance

• A new finding from a Bankrate survey show that while negative feelings toward tipping have declined since last year, most Americans do not think highly of tipping.

• In 2023, 66 percent of Americans viewed tipping negatively and that number has now fallen to 59 percent.

• Older Americans and women are more likely to always tip, at least at sit-down restaurants.

Baby boomers and women are the two groups that are the most likely to always tip, according to a new Bankrate survey.

The 2,445-person survey found that half of American adults—59 percent—have a negative opinion about tipping.

More Americans think that tipping culture has gotten out of control.

In 2023, 30 percent of Americans surveyed by Bankrate said they believe tipping culture has gotten increasingly out of control. Now, that number has bumped up to 35 percent, according to survey findings released Wednesday.

Negative opinions about tipping increase with age, the survey found.

A little over 70 percent of Baby Boomers have at least one negative view toward tipping compared to 62 percent of Gen Xers, 51 percent of Millennials and 45 percent of Gen Zers.

But a negative attitude toward the practice doesn’t appear to stop Baby Boomers from tipping.

Baby Boomers are more likely to always tip at a sit-down restaurant than adults in any other generation.

According to the survey, 86 percent of Baby Boomers who go to sit-down restaurants always tip compared to 78 percent of Gen Xers, 56 percent of millennials and 35 percent of Gen Zers.

Tipping practices also differ along gender lines, with women more likely than men to always tip in most circumstances.

The survey found 71 percent of women who go to sit-down restaurants always tip compared to and 63 percent of men.

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