Tipping in Australia: Survey reveals Aussie’s thoughts on tipping culture – so we ask, do you leave one?

Australia‘s unspoken battle with tipping culture has been exposed, showing 43 per cent are giving it a hard pass.

In a survey of 1,000 Aussies by Money.com.au four per cent say they always tip servers in restaurants, cafés or bars while 29 per cent will do so “depending on the occasion”.

A further 18 per cent “feel uncomfortable about tipping but will do it if pressured”, while seven per cent are happy to tip to “reward good service”.

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The argument is undeniable: even within the 9honey office the tipping debate fired up, with most staffers revealing they firmly opt-out while others thought the opposite.

It’s definitely not a new debate, but the manner of tipping is becoming more and more prominent as technology advances.

Customers are increasingly presented with digital options for tipping including via payment terminals or through QR codes.

Unlike in the US, most Australians expect hospitality staff to be pair fairly by their employer for providing a service – but does that mean tips shouldn’t exist Down Under?

One staff member said: “My partner never tips. I always do because I used to waitress and we would split the tips and it was always an awesome bonus.

“So I just refuse to go out to dinner with him at my favourite restaurants because I know he won’t do it. And I feel bad not tipping at all.”

Another shared the “only time” they’ve ever tipped, which was to a sommelier whose job was to recommend wine to pair with the meal.

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“He literally went above and beyond and was so attentive to us all night,” they added.

One staffer said they flat-out refused to tip in Australia.

“I find it very uncomfortable when a restaurant tries to pressure you or asks you to tip,” they said.

“Also, it is usually fancy restaurants that do this. When the bill is already expensive, I would assume the price mark-ups for food and beverages are covering decent wages for the employees and good service.”

Another said they refuse to tip “for plenty of reasons, but one of the biggest is because the service I’m getting hasn’t changed at all from the service I received pre-tipping culture in Australia”.

“Why would I pay extra for the exact same service?” they continued. “Just because America has a tipping culture, doesn’t mean Australia has to adopt it too.”

One staffer said they only tip if they have been given “incredible service” like a “free meal or a free drink”.

“Or if they go out of their way to accommodate us,” they continued.

“My partner often tips around 20 per cent when it pops up on the card reader and it drives me nuts.

“I’m not a Grinch but I just don’t think we want to be encouraging tipping culture in Australia! Also, I’m doubtful that credit card tips actually go to the staff at all.”

Another says they’re selective about their tipping.

“I will tip if it’s been an amazing experience but I hate feeling pressured into it (i.e. the tipping screen that appears on the EFTPOS machine while you’re paying, and the waiter is watching what you do – awful!),” they said.

“My partner often tips 20 per cent when it pops up on the card reader – it drives me nuts.”

They added that they “despise that the QR code ordering things ask for tips. YOU ARE A MACHINE.”

Another said: “We usually don’t tip but if we find the service to be amazing – and this is usually the result of one person – we might round up the bill.

“I also don’t like when staff watch you as you pay.”

“The only time I tip is if I’m splitting the bill; more often than not it’s easier to round up, and then that becomes a nice tip for the restaurant,” another said.

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Money.com.au’s Finance Expert, Sean Callery, says Aussies are resisting the shift toward US-style tipping, particularly when it feels more like an obligation than a genuine choice to reward good service.

“Tipping might be the norm in places like the US, but Aussies aren’t buying into it, even though more venues are adding tip prompts of 15–20 per cent percent at checkout,” he said.

“It feels automated and forced.”

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He explained most Australians “expect hospitality staff to be paid fairly by their employer for providing a service, not subsidised by the customer”.

Older Australians are less likely to tip hospitality businesses, with 50 per cent saying they refused to do it because “it has no place in Australia”.

Gen Z are the most likely to tip with 33 percent saying they’ll “tip for good service.”

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