Restaurant covers 'No Tip' option with a sticker to force tipping — and it didn't go down well

Tipping fatigue in the US has been a growing conversation, but one restaurant’s attempt to force customers into paying extra has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. On August 25, a photo posted by u/SPXQuantAlgo on Reddit showed a payment terminal where the "No Tip" option had been deliberately covered by a black sticker reading "THANK YOU." That meant customers were only presented with pre-set tip amounts. The post racked up more than 23,000 upvotes within a day as frustrated readers called out the manipulative tactic. For many, it was the latest example of how businesses are exploiting digital payment systems to pressure customers into tipping for services that traditionally didn’t require it.

Many Reddit users weighed in on both the ethics and the legality of the situation. u/TechnEconomics wrote, "This is against the rules they signed up to with their payments company. Send the photo to Verifone along with the merchant name." And they’re right — Verifone’s own Standard Terms require merchants to follow card-network and scheme rules, stating: "You must use the Products and Services in compliance with.… any rules imposed by any card network or payment scheme." If a setup like this breaches those rules, Verifone has the authority to take action.

u/padizzledonk commented, "Taking my order and handing me a bag or a cup doesn’t deserve a tip, that’s just your job lol. If you drive food to me or serve me food and beverages at a table, that’s a tippable service." That perspective echoes what research says — for most people, tipping is first and foremost about service. A study by the Pew Research Center found that around three-quarters of adults (77%) say the quality of the service they receive is a major factor in deciding whether and how much to tip. 

Some had other suggestions. u/HeroinJimmy added, "They can stand there and watch me peel it off and hit that 'no tip' option," to which u/Arctucrus replied, "I wouldn't peel it off myself; I'd ask for the manager and have them peel it off for me. 'I'd hate to damage store property!' Then 'No tip' on the machine, and slip my waiter a cash tip instead. That kind of decision, the tape over the button, comes from management, not the individual employee. I understand the importance of tipping in the USA, but that tape is bulls***, and management needs to know it and feel it." u/woah_m8 suggested, "Also, put that picture in a Google Maps review. I don't care if people want to tip; if they are fine with it, they can do so, but this should be something you know before choosing to go there."

This isn’t the only example of tipping frustrations sparking debate. In another story, a Reddit user showed their customer’s frustration after discovering an 18% gratuity automatically added to their bill for just two guests. The total came to $73.94, with $10.65 already included as a "voluntary" tip. Even though the receipt said the gratuity could be adjusted, the customer was upset at seeing it pre-added without notice. On the check, they crossed out the gratuity, wrote "0" in the tip line, and paid only $63.29.

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