Millennials bemoan tipping for coffee, spark discussion about tipping culture at large: 'Having the money doesn’t mean I want every transaction to come with a guilt trip'

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Oct 15, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Should you have to tip on a cup of coffee?

It seems like every couple of months, we get together on the fine place known as the internet to do a little discourse about tipping. As an internet culturista, I see this trend constantly ebbing and flowing. It seems like there is so much to talk about, and we haven't gotten tired of it yet. Maybe because it's a problem that continues to occur. Every day I leave the house it feels like I'm being asked to tip on something new. The numbers only seem to be increasing, and there are so many ways to feel about it. There are so many sides to the debate, and this thread from a millennial-focused group had a lot to add to the matter.

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via Brooke Cagle For Unsplash+

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A barista makes coffee at a coffee shop
Fellow millennials: does tipping culture make you not even want to buy a coffee anymore?
-u/rageagainstmymachin
I’m 37, born in 1989. Growing up, my understanding was that you tipped at restaurants where somebody came to your table and served you. The way I was raised, 10% was normal, 15% was generous, and 20% meant excellent service. That’s what I grew up with, before anyone turns this into an argument about restaurant percentages.
Outside of that, tips were mostly optional. Tow truck driver helps me late at night on a difficult job? Here’s an extra $20. Repairman goes above and beyond? Maybe $40 or $50. Something you chose to do because you appreciated somebody.
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via Sam Dan Truong

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A tip jar on a counter at a coffee shop
Now I can’t even order a coffee without feeling like I’m having a ******g moral dilemma.
Dutch Bros is the worst about this in my experience. They take your order, hold out the tablet, look you ***d in the eye, and ask, “Would you like to leave a tip?”
Bro. You just took my order. I haven’t even gotten the coffee yet.
Sometimes I’m going straight to the window, so nobody even came out to my car. Same question. I say no, and now I’m sitting there waiting for my drink in this awkward silence, feeling guilty over something that’s supposedly optional.
It’s not that I’m broke. It’s not that I can’t afford an extra dollar or two. I just don’t like being put on the spot every time I buy something. Having the money doesn’t mean I want every transaction to come with a guilt trip.
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via Blake Wisz

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A person pays with a card in a card terminal
Starbucks feels a little less awkward, especially when I order through the app. Scan, get my drink, move on. But at the window, that tip screen still gets put right in front of you. One dollar, two dollars, three dollars… dude, I just wanted a coffee. How did this become another decision I have to justify to myself?
And my frustration is mostly with the corporations setting this up. Why make employees ask customers directly? Why create this uncomfortable interaction between the person buying a drink and the person making it? It feels like these companies want customers to take responsibility for making sure their workers get paid enough.
Pay your people properly. If I want to leave something extra, let it actually be extra.
Maybe nobody behind the counter gives a ***t when I hit “no tip.” Maybe some of that awkwardness is in my own head. But the way the question gets asked absolutely makes it feel like there’s a right answer, and “no” isn’t it.
Yes, this is a first-world problem. I know. But it’s getting to the point where I’d rather skip going altogether than deal with it.
I just want a m**********ing coffee.
Are other millennials feeling this? Where do you draw the line between something you’re happy to tip for and being asked to tip just because you bought something?
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via Brooke Cagle For Unsplash+

_{Individual pictured is a model used for illustrative purposes.}

A barista pours milk in a latte
Coffee is a precious thing in my life. The idea of it is what helps me get out of bed in the morning. If you're working a nine-to-five, odds are some sort of caffeinated beverage is a huge part of your morning routine. It helps give me that little zest I need to bring my best self to the day. And sure, I could make it at home every day or at the office, but sometimes I want something a little fancier. I want to patronize a local business and have a special little drink. I want to feel like I'm part of my community and that we're all in this together. This is why I keep showing up to the coffee shop. But I'll admit, it's not a cheap habit, especially where I live. Over time, it can add up to a pretty significant expense, especially with tipping. It can start to get a little old.
I've been on the other side of the story, though. For a long time, I worked at a coffee shop, and I needed the money from those tips to survive. My hourly wage wasn't enough to live on, so I relied on the support of customers to help get my bills paid. I'm not saying it's a good system, but it's definitely the system we have in place. And it probably made me a little friendlier knowing that it might trickle down to my wallet. I think the people who are against the system of tipping and taking it out on folks probably barely scraping by… are missing the point. In this case, that's now how you be the change you wish to see in the world. In my view, the business owners remain unaffected, and then we're left with the same problem.
But the question remains: does it fall upon generational lines? Are millennials more fed up with tipping than the rest of the generations? Keep reading this thread and sift through the opinions laid out. There is always time for more tipping discourse in this household.
bromygod203
If I'm ordering standing up I'm generally not tipping but there are exceptions. My wife and I frequent a Starbucks near out gym and the teenagers working there Sunday morning recognize us so now I'm tipping them $5 every Sunday cause we're regulars and they know my order
paradoxpancake
My line on tipping is this:
If I'm being seated and being given extensive service to where you're literally waiting on me, I will tip you. If I'm seated at a restaurant, I tip. If I'm doing take out, I rarely tip. This is because my food is often going from kitchen to me with no in-between barring the brief moment someone hands it to me.
I tip for massages because that's 1-2 hours you put detailed work into me. For haircuts, I also tip because my Mom was a cosmetologist. They're standing almost all day and putting effort into my hair.
Now, someone might ask: "Why not tip your mechanic? Why not tip other people on their feet all day who do an extended service for you?" Because it gets out of hand really fast. While I understand that my decisions are somewhat arbitrary, most of those professions aren't basing their incomes off of tips either like the restaurant industry does.
Personally, I blame those digital payment terminals for tipping getting out of hand.
A Starbucks barista shouldn't be making their income based on tips. They're going from counter to me. There's no waiting involved like a sit-down restaurant. If that is how Starbucks' wage system currently works, it's time to assess whether or not Starbucks should have its business model as they currently do.
Bubbly_Concern_7522
I have absolutely no problem selecting "No TIP" when presented. Especially at an arena or venue where the markup is already insane. If I am standing up when I receive my item, I'm not tipping.
rockmanzerox06
I have no idea why my fellow millennials have such a hard time pressing 0%. It’s easy. It’s an unemotional business transaction.