‘Tipflation’ Culture Putting Added Financial Pressure on Canadians: Survey

The rising costs of food and housing have consistently been named as stressors for Canadian households over the past year, but a new phenomenon is adding extra financial pressure: tipflation. Tipflation—the growing gratuity expectation in the service industry—may be adding to the financial stress Canadians feel. A recent poll revealed that two-thirds of Canadians feel pressured by electronic payment machines to leave a 15 percent tip, even when a tip isn’t warranted. Conducted by budgeting app Hardbacon, the online survey asked 513 Canadians about their tipping habits and attitudes. It found that 65 percent of Canadians left a tip because they felt prompted to do so by the card payment terminal. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they left a higher tip than expected due to the choices presented by the payment terminal....