Tip value sure, but tip percentage? I mean think about it, the price of the food will go up, so the percent of that elevated food price will also go up. Like, if I bought a $20 meal and tipped 15%, that's a $3. But if because of inflation or whatever, the $20 meal increases its price to $40, a 15% tip is now $6. The tip has gone up, but the percentage has remained the same.

So why are tips now going up to 21, 23, 25, hell I've seen a tablet that suggested 30%? (We all know the answer why, I'm being rherorical.)

As funnystuff stated in the other reply, since food prices have gone up, tip amounts have gone up as well.

The two main reasons I see that tip percentages have crept up is the social pressure to not be the one that tips "poorly" and that automated prompt with suggested tips.

Those end up in a feedback loop. If you're standing next to someone and the tip options are 15, 18, and 20 percent, there is a social pressure not to tip the lowest amount. It's the same where if there are 3 wines on the menu, the cheap, the reasonable, and the expensive. Most people won't buy the cheapest option. The cheapest option is there to pressure you into the middle one. Well, now that they have that, why not slowly increase the suggested amount to 18, 20, 22. Or like we are seeing in a lot of places now. 20, 25, and 30.

What sucks is that there are no repurcussions for businesses that suggest these larger percentages. Nor are there any for businesses that traditionally are not tipped to display the screen as well. Not until we either pass legislation to regulate tipping prompts or collectively refuse to purchase services from these businesses.

I understand what you're saying, and agree it's impossible to live on minimum wage in a big chunk of the country. However, tips are already pegged to inflation. If food gets twice as expensive, your 20% also doubles. For folks like Teachers, they might be lucky to get a 1 or 2% cost of living adjustment each year. That's waaaaaaaaaay below inflation, and just falls further and further behind, like the base minimum wage.

That doesn't explain why the tips in percentage increased. The cost of the meal at the restaurant is probably also related to the costs of living...

We're talking percentages. There's no reason why the percentages should have crept up when cost of living has gone up considering prices have risen along with the rest of cost of living.

Fuck it. 15 percent tops for me. This 20-25% for a tip? Fuck that.

Luckily in my state minimum wage is $15.74 plus tips.

Good god how do you write that all out and not realize the problem is the OWNERS, not the customers.

The OWNERS are the ones responsible for paying good wages. Start pointing your finger at the right people.

Yeah, at server rates in most areas if they get less than 20 percent tip they are losing money.