Kimberly Palmer: 5 strategies for navigating today’s digital tipping culture

By KIMBERLY PALMER of NerdWallet

The requests for tips for service are coming more frequently these days, as cashless payment methods with automated tipping options proliferate at checkout counters. To help make responding to these prompts less awkward, tipping experts offer some guidelines. First, it’s worth knowing that you can always decline to tip in scenarios where limited service was provided. But in service-heavy scenarios, such as at sit-down restaurants, tipping 20% is still standard, and many service workers receive a significant portion of their income in the form of tips and end-of-year gratuities. If tipping is pushing your budget to its limits, consider avoiding situations where tipping is expected.