Millennials Worst Tippers, New Study Shows

Millennials are the worst tippers of any age category, a new study by CreditCards.com revealed over the weekend. 

A full 10 percent of millennials ages 18 to 37 said they didn’t tip at all at restaurants, the study showed, and almost a third tipped less than 15 percent. When offered a number of options for tipping, one in six millennials said they picked the lowest option, and almost 20 percent gave no tip at all in those cases.

The study also showed 27 percent of millennials think restaurants should charge more and eliminate tipping altogether, possibly because of more international travel. Some other countries have moved in this direction, and millennials may think it seems easier than figuring out how much to give, CreditCards.com said. 

Only 21 percent in the study overall agreed with that viewpoint, however, and some U.S. restaurants who have tried it have lost customers.

“Tipping at sit-down restaurants has always been the standard in the U.S., but that’s not necessarily the case in other countries,” CreditCards.com senior analyst Matt Shulz said. 

Millennials may have more in common with other populations that tip less, like lower incomes or less education. And some services like Uber didn’t allow tipping until recently, which set a precedent that may be hard to overcome, USA Today reported.

“When you don’t make a lot of money your financial margin of error is very small, so even if you wanted to, you may not be able to financially,” Schulz said, USA Today reported. 

“Income predicts tipping,” Cornell University School of Hotel Administration tipping expert Michael Lynn said, according to CreditCards.com. “Older people really prefer tipping.”

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