People are totally sick of suggested tipping rates in Canada
Whether it’s a restaurant or coffee shop, suggested tipping amounts have become a source of irritation for many in Canada.
If you’ve been put off by the preset tipping rates just before tapping your credit card, you’re not alone. A new survey stated that most Canadians are “irked” by suggested tip prompts when paying online retailers, coffee shops, or sit-down restaurants.
In May, Research Co., a company that conducts opinion polls, asked 1,000 adults in Canada to share their thoughts on tipping culture. It turns out that most Canadians aren’t averse to leaving tips — in fact, 53 per cent say they leave a tip “all the time” after visiting a sit-down restaurant. However, they can all agree on one thing: that the suggested tips have become annoying.
“Most Canadians say they always tip food servers at sit-down restaurants, but dislike encountering recommendations about how much they should leave after a meal,” states the survey.
nvkhuong95/Shutterstock
The survey found that most “disapprove” of several suggested tipping practices that have become more common in Canada recently:
- suggested tips from online retailers (71 per cent)
- suggested tips when paying with a credit card at coffee shops (65 per cent)
- suggested tip printed on the bill at sit-down restaurants (57 per cent)
- suggested tip prompts at sit-down restaurants when a customer pays with a credit card (53 per cent)
When asked if sit-down restaurants should set a minimum service charge, Canadians were split — 45 per cent approved, while 47 per cent disapproved.
According to Job Bank Canada, in 2024, food and beverage servers earned an average of $18 per hour. Among survey participants, 69 per cent of survey participants said they wouldn’t have to tip servers if they had better pay, and 68 per cent said that tipping is important because servers can’t get by on their salaries alone.
However, 65 per cent said that these days, food servers “simply expect a tip, but don’t work hard to earn it.” And even if the service was bad, 35 per cent said servers still deserve a tip.
To tip or not to tip?
HelloSafe, which compares insurance and financial products, published a study in 2024 that found that the two countries with the highest tipping rates are the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., it’s common to tip servers 20 per cent of the final bill, while in Canada, the amount ranges from 15 to 20 per cent.
Sentiments vary slightly by age group: 64 per cent of Canadians over 55 said they always tip, while only 56 per cent of those aged 35 to 54 and 41 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 said they tip.
Although tipping is standard in Canada, it’s certainly nuanced and tricky to navigate.
Tipping can depend on the location. For example, 37 per cent said they tip at bars, 15 per cent said they tip when buying their food to go, 14 per cent tip at restaurants, 12 per cent tip at cafeteria-style restaurants, and 10 per cent tip at fast-food restaurants.
Icatnews/Shutterstock
The amount can also vary by situation.
The survey states, “About a third of Canadians think tips in the 10 per cent to 14 per cent range are acceptable in three situations: after a haircut or visit to the salon (35 per cent ), for food delivery managed by the restaurant (33 per cent), for food delivery through a third-party app (30 per cent) and after taking a taxi or rideshare vehicle (also 30 per cent).
Are you picking up your food yourself or ordering something online? For Canadians, 57 per cent think tipping is not necessary in those situations.
Do you work in the service industry? Do you frequently go to restaurants and cafes? How do you feel about these tipping patterns in Canada? Send us an email at trending@dailyhive.com