bens81•1mo ago

Back when tipping at the counter was unheard of

I remember when grabbing a coffee at a counter in Portland back in 2015 meant just paying for the drink, no screen asking for 20% before I even tasted it. Now every single place flips that tablet around and you feel like a jerk if you skip the tip jar. Anyone else just hit 'no tip' on those and walk away?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_charles1mo ago

Yeah, that 'feel like a jerk' thing is real. I started bringing exact change for cash in Portland a few years ago. Pay with a $5 bill for a $4 coffee, take your change, and just walk. No screen to tap, no pressure. If I'm paying card, I hit 'no tip' every time without apology. They set the price, I pay it. Tipping was for sit-down service where someone brings you food and checks on you, not for handing me a cup.

betty_palmer1mo ago

Have you tried just preloading a coffee shop gift card with like $20? I do that at local places I go to regularly. Saves me from the screen guilt trip entirely because there's no tip option on a gift card transaction. Plus it feels nice to support them upfront without the awkward tipping dance every single time. Cash is good too though, I've started keeping a little envelope of ones and fives in my glovebox for exactly this reason. The whole tablet flipping around thing is such a buzzkill, it's like they engineered it to make you feel cheap on purpose lol. I just hit no tip and move on with my day now, no explanations needed.