Tipping isn’t usually expected in the UK, but with a rise of restaurants and cafes asking for a tip on top of the billed ‘Service Fee’, many Brits have expressed their frustration
The UK has always prided itself on the fact that tipping is optional and only given when service exceeds expectations, but lately, more and more cafes and restaurants have been asking customers to tip, especially on takeaway orders.
Typically, a ‘Service Fee’ is added to the final bill when eating in and is usually 10-15% of the total bill. Though this additional fee is considered discretionary, it is often deemed inappropriate not to pay it. The ‘Service Fee’ is usually split equally among all staff and added to their weekly or monthly pay check.
However, with the increasing cost-of-living crisis, some diners have taken to social media to express their discontent with this additional fee, especially when the service doesn’t warrant additional recognition. One TikTok user stated, “Can we please normalise not paying the service charge if the service is bad?”
Many quickly commented on the video, with another user adding, “I don’t pay the service charge even if the service is good,” while someone else remarked, “Tipping should be optional.”
Takeaway meals and coffee orders are not expected to pay this ‘Service Fee’. This is why at Pret, the server behind the counter will ask if you’ll be dining in; depending on your answer, you’ll have to pay the additional service fee.
However, takeaway joints are asking their customers whether they’d like to add a tip just before paying, which has infuriated many who think this additional push is unreasonable and greedy.
A user on Reddit addressed this issue and asked if anyone tips on their takeaway coffee. The user explained that at his local cafe, a ‘tipping screen’ had started to appear on the point-of-sale system just before payment could be made. The screen shows four tipping options: £1, £3, £5, or no tip, and it will not allow customers to tap their card without selecting an option.
Many were quick to share their opinion on the matter, with one user commenting, “God no. The times I’ve lived in London, I made it a rule never to tip. It is not the US.”. Another stated, “No. US-style tip culture has no place in the UK.”
A study into UK tipping culture was conducted by MyGov back in 2020, and results showed that Brits (if they do tip) are most likely to when dining out in restaurants. A third (35%) say they always leave a tip, and another 28% often do. However, only 5% of Brits say they never leave a tip for waiters or waitresses.
Results also showed that the older generations are much more likely to tip, with 41% of Brits over 55 always leaving a tip, compared to 19% of 18- to 24-year-olds.
Tipping is both needed and expected in the US, as employees are paid differently than in the UK. Many hospitality workers in the US are not given a base salary and rely solely on customer tips to make ends meet.
However, in the UK, employees are required by law to be paid at least the National Living Wage, which will increase to £12.21 per hour in April for workers aged 21 and over. If you get tips at work, they do not count towards the National Minimum Wage. You still have to pay Income Tax on tips and may have to pay National Insurance.
When a waiter or waitress is hired, they agree to the salary outlined in their contract, which will never include tips or a share of the service fee; these are instead considered added perks of the job.
With UK hospitality workers given a base salary and tips are more or less considered ‘perks’, these additional attempts for restaurants and cafes to land extra tips have left Brits believing tipping culture has gone too far.
