News & Trending Shopping & Deals News

11 Situations Where Tipping Is Actually Optional (Do You Agree With #6?)

But there's always the option to tip for great service.

By Heather Bien

Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Feb. 19, 2026

Add Us On Google

If your goal is to eat out more often while also taking care to stretch your restaurant budget, then you're probably discouraged by all of the extra money you spend tipping. A $3 cookie at the coffee shop turns into $5 after tax and tip. And that self-serve black coffee at your local cafe? There's an ask to tip on that, too.

You know it's expected that you'll tip on a sit-down restaurant meal, and you don't mind leaving an extra dollar for the fancy latte the barista whipped up for you, but when are you tipping unnecessarily (or just because the tip screen comes up)?

Here's what you need to know about tipping etiquette and the situations where tipping is actually optional.

Earn $200 cash rewards bonus with this incredible card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card (Rates and fees) has no annual fee and you can earn $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

Cardholders can also earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

The best part? There's no annual fee.

Click here to apply now.

You ordered fast food

Some fast food restaurants don't give the option to include an additional tip on their point-of-sale system, and you should let that guide you. If there's not an easy way to include a tip, or even with a tip prompt present, don't worry about it. If you do want to tip, a dollar or two in cash at the register is the best way to hand it over.

Make Money: 8 things to do if you're barely scraping by financially

You received food or drink from a flight attendant

If the general consensus is that food and drink typically merit a tip, what does that mean for receiving a meal on a flight? Most airlines actually discourage or prohibit tipping, so you can eat your Biscoff without worrying about how you're going to send a few extra dollars to the flight attendant.

If you do feel inclined to tip for exceptional service, opt for something like a thank-you note or non-cash gift to show your appreciation.

You see the same package carrier every week

If you do a lot of online ordering, you may want to tip your package carrier. You're thinking of all those boxes they bring to your front stoop, and you want to show your appreciation.

But, regardless of whether they're with the U.S. Postal Service or UPS, tipping with cash is likely discouraged or outright banned, though they can accept small gifts or snacks valued at $20 or less.

Earn as much as $1K doing simple online tasks

A company called Freecash has compiled all sorts of quick cash tasks from about a dozen advertisers and market research companies thirsty for more data. Freecash has paid out over $13 million to users since 2019, and has over 50,000 five-star reviews on Trustpilot.

The restaurant has a service fee

When there is an automatic gratuity or a service fee already on the bill, it's usually a straightforward situation — you don't need to add an additional tip. However, feel free to add a few extra dollars if the service was truly exceptional.

At a wedding

While some guests will throw a few dollars to a bartender at the beginning of the night as a gesture of goodwill (and in the hopes of getting better service), it's not necessary. The couple should be tipping the bartender and other vendors 20% at the end of the night.

You're at a counter service restaurant

If you go up to the counter at a sandwich shop to place your order and receive your meal just a few minutes later, do you need to tip? Some people say that counter-service restaurants don't actually require a tip, despite the tip jar at the cash register.

Don't miss: 8 clever ways to save money so you can still afford to eat out

You order a premade item

There's another layer to the counter service restaurant situation. Is there a difference between ordering a sandwich that has to be assembled and plucking one from the pre-made refrigerated items sitting by the counter? Premade items can definitely skip the tip.

You didn't actually interact with an employee

It seems tipping screens are popping up everywhere these days. You might go shopping in a corner grocery store, then get to the cash register, and a tip screen pops up. You didn't interact with a single employee besides the cashier — do you need to tip? Absolutely not, though feel free to if you were especially impressed with your experience.

You hired a salaried professional

If you hire a salaried employee, whether that's a plumber or an electrician, then a tip is not expected. While it can be a nice gesture if they go above and beyond to help you, these employees typically receive a salary that is the bulk of their wages, and they do not receive tips on top of that.

Earn as much as $1K doing simple online tasks

You receive a service from a business owner

In the past, it's been considered standard practice that you do not tip if you received a service from a business owner. Today, it's more common to tip, especially for small business owners in service industries, but it wouldn't be surprising if you chose to abide by old rules.

This is a case where you can make the decision based on the service you received and your relationship with the business owner.

The service was atrocious

This is one that gets dicey. Everyone has off days occasionally, and if you're a salaried employee, you still get paid even on your worst days. But for tipped workers who rely on tips for their paychecks, their off days can have a big impact. Most people will tip the minimum 15% even if the service was awful, but it's completely your call.

Bottom line

While cutting restaurant expenses is a high-impact way to reduce your monthly food budget, it's also a good idea to look at other tactics to tackle high grocery costs. From strategically shopping deals to learning how to make the most of store reward programs, there are clever ways you can reduce your grocery budget. If you shop at Costco, here's a good place to start.

More from FinanceBuzz: