Consumers are spending 38% less on excessive or "guilt tipping" in 2025 compared to a year earlier, as rising living costs force them to scale back, new research shows.

The term "guilt tipping" was coined to refer to the social pressure or discomfort a customer feels when they are asked to leave a tip, often through digital point-of-sale (POS) systems. Rather than using tipping purely as a voluntary reward for good service, people have felt compelled to do so out of guilt or fear of judgment.

In fact, the average person reluctantly tips $24 per month more than they feel is fair due to the pressure or awkwardness of not doing so, according to findings from Talker Research’s yearly study.

The research shows that the cost of guilt tipping adds up to $283 over the course of a year, accord

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