I’m the chief growth officer at a payments app and I know how America really tips. Connecticut, I’m looking at you

Core Insights - The perception of tipping culture in America is that it is excessive, but this is only partially true, especially for small businesses [1] - Tipping fatigue exists, yet Americans are still tipping, becoming more selective about when and how much to tip [2] Tipping Trends - The average tip percentage across various categories is 15.46%, with restaurants, fast food, and transportation averaging between 14% and 16%, while personal services like barbering and beauty services average 17% and miscellaneous services average 18.3% [3] - The average dollar amount for tips has increased to $12.44, with specialty services like automotive repair often seeing tips over $20, indicating that high-quality experiences are rewarded with higher gratuity [4] Customer Experience - Small and micro-sized businesses need to be cautious about how they prompt for tips, as excessive prompts can undermine the legitimacy of tipping in customers' minds [5] - Tipping trends vary by state, with South Carolina leading at an average tip rate of 20.71%, followed by Wisconsin at 19.15% and Connecticut at 18.43%. However, Connecticut has the highest average dollar amount for tips at $13.06 [6]