Survey finds more Americans expected to tip during 2023 holiday season

Last year, more people tipped, but they tipped lower amounts.

This year is what Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst, Ted Rossman, would call the best of both worlds. But why? 

Rossman told WBZ-TV more people are planning to tip and they’re planning to tip at levels seen back in 2021. 

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Why is that year significant? Because we weren’t facing all of the challenges that have come along with inflation.

The survey found that 15% of Americans plan to tip more for holiday services.

“So, I think that it actually could be the best year out of the past few years, for people like mail carriers, trash collectors, housekeepers, teachers, childcare providers. These are the kind of people who often get year-end tips,” Rossman said.

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Now, it is important to note: while there are many Americans who are exhausted by all the tipping prompts they see year-round, (i.e. at your local coffee shop or fast food stop), this survey specifically focuses on holiday tipping.

And when it comes to who is doing the tipping, the latest survey said it’s the Millennials and Gen Zer’s who are most likely to tip and tip well.

Here’s a breakdown of who plans to tip this holiday season:

• 23% of Millennials
• 21% of Gen Z
• 12% of Gen X
• 9% of Baby Boomers

“My theory is that you tend to be a better tipper if you have service industry experience and a lot of today’s young adults do empathize with this situation. A lot of young adults today either currently work or used to work in the service industry…that really does tend to be a big predictor of spending habits,” Rossman said.

Yes, tipping can sometimes be confusing and money is still tight for a lot of people. 

Rossman’s advice? Tip if you can. 

“Especially if someone has truly gone out of their way to help you,” he said.

For more information about the holiday tipping survey click here.