Are You Tipping at Take-Out and Non-Serve Restaurants? Be Honest

The question was proposed as I keep seeing this at just about every place any more. When you see these screens at the end of your transaction, are you tipping? It's okay to be honest.

Here's what to consider.

The typical average tip at a restaurant is 20%. Your meal was $50? A $10 tip is suitable. $100 might get you to drop a $20. Sure you can do more or less based on yourself but the standard is 20%. That's at a restaurant where you're greeted to make feel welcome, seated, someone comes to your need to take your order, fill your water, refill drinks as needed, bring you your food and make sure all is well. That's what that 20% is for. You know if you're going out to eat you'll pay a little extra for the server themselves.

Now imagine going to just about any place in town, getting something to go, picking it up yourself and feeding your face as you sit at home blankly staring at whatever Netflix is suggesting to you. Would you tip for that?

Many do.

Not sure if out of obligation or anything. They just flip the tablet around it shows up on the card reader. Some may feel obliged to tip since it's right there and there's someone right there watching them so it's worth it for their soul to leave a good impression. Maybe, perhaps.

Keep in mind, you have no obligation to tip under these circumstances. Picking up food for yourself, you're paying for the prepared food. There's nobody serving it to you, cashiers aren't working on a diminished income that is supplemented with tips, you're good.

Of course if you wanna tip, that's totally fine. Just know you don't have to. Tipping like this screen in the photo is just part of their point of sales service and, well, why not leave it there if it means they get a few extra bucks.