Britain is seeing a growing trend of US-style tipping culture, with service charges becoming more prevalent in various establishments. Consumers are now frequently prompted to tip in places like pubs and coffee shops, a practice that was less common previously.
In some London restaurants, a 15% service charge is now considered relatively commonplace. This contrasts with a past general rule of 10% in restaurants, alongside uncertainty about tipping other service providers.
Since October 2024, all service charges and tips in Great Britain are legally required to go to staff. This change may help boost low salaries in the hospitality sector. Businesses, facing rising minimum wage and national insurance costs, may benefit from customers supplementing wages through tips.
The move away from cash towards card and digital payments, coupled with point-of-sale software that prompts customers for a tip, is believed to be accelerating this change. These systems are presented as making tipping easier, but they also encourage increased spending by controlling the options presented to customers.
Some individuals, like Greg Double, a creative director, express annoyance at service charges added to items such as pints in pubs. There is also a reported new anxiety among customers regarding whether bar staff expect a tip, especially when payment machines are handed over without the 'no' tip option pre-selected.