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Vintage illustration showing a “No Tipping Allowed by Law” sign with a policeman, waitress and customers debating tipping in early 20th-century America.

The Tipping Escalation Ladder – Can It Be Reversed? (Part 2 of 3)

After exploring the idea of the Tipping Escalation Ladder, one question kept appearing: can tipping culture actually be reversed? Surprisingly, the United States once tried to ban tipping entirely. This follow-up looks at the forgotten anti-tipping movement of the early 1900s and how modern payment systems and delivery platforms may now be reshaping tipping expectations once again.
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Illustration of an American and British diner arguing about tipping culture at a bar, symbolising the debate over tipping expectations.

The Tipping Escalation Ladder (Part 1 of 3)

Tipping used to be a simple thank-you for exceptional service. Today, it increasingly feels like something else… suggested by payment terminals, engineered into apps, and socially enforced in ways that quietly shift labour costs from employers to customers. In this piece, I explore what I call the Tipping Escalation Ladder and ask whether optional gratitude is becoming engineered expectation.