Tap-to-tip is changing how Irish consumers tip. 2 in 3 believe tipping is becoming less voluntary
Hotel & Restaurant Times looks at the contentious issue that seems to be gaining momentum here in Ireland around the subject of tipping. Is this an issue we need to thread carefully around? Or will it disenfranchise people working in hospitality?
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)ย has shed new light on tipping culture in Ireland.
With the introduction of โtap-to-tipโ, the CCPC has revealed that 2 in 3 believe tipping is becoming less voluntary, and 3 in 4 would like to see businesses make it easier to opt out of tipping.
Since the introduction of digital tipping emerged around 2015, worries have risen regarding tipping becoming as customary as it is in the United States, where it is not only appreciated, but expected, that the customer be responsible for paying the employeesโ wages. The federal minimum wage in the US has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.
Many establishments across the United States keep their employees on this hourly rate with the expectation that the customers will compensate to achieve a reasonable living wage for the employee, often times leading to a refusal of future service if the tipping expectation is not met, leading to feelings of resentment and distrust between employee and customer.
Is the general public expected to ease the burden of the cost-of-living crisis?
The minimum wage in Ireland currently sits at โฌ14.15 per hour for employees aged 20 and over, the increasing expectation for customers to tip sparks concern that the presupposition of tipping in Ireland will become progressively demanding.
The cost-of-living crisis in Ireland has hit an all-time high with basic needs such as food prices rising by 5.1% in August 2025, the highest since December 2023 according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Based on these figures, the average employeesโ needs for an increased income is foreseeable. However, it asks for the examination of why the general public is expected to ease the burden of the cost-of-living crisis through increased tipping, when in Ireland it has traditionally been an optional gesture of gratitude for exceptional service rather than a mandatory obligation.
Hidden skip buttons and unexpected charges under scrutiny
There has also been a shift in the options present on a payment terminal while using the โtap-to-tipโ method. It has been standard in previous years for the tipping percentage to range from 5% to 15%, however it is now present in some establishments for the tipping range to begin at 12%, and often the โskipโ button is small and difficult to see.
According to the Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), 1 in 5 have recently paid a bill that included an unexpected extra charge, and 1 in 4 of consumersโ who have encountered standalone tipping terminals have tapped them by mistake. According to the CCPCโs new guidance, tipping on a payment terminal should be easy to avoid, and accidental tipping should be easily preventable by keeping tipping terminals separate and clearly labelled.
Director of Research, Advocacy and International at the CCPC Simon Barry stated,
“newer technologies like payment screens and tipping terminals are changing the way we tip for services, it’s important that businesses using these technologies do so in a way that protects the customersโ right to decide whether and how much to tip.โ
Paynt, an international payment technology company operating across the European Economic Area, recently conducted research on tipping practices and attitudes to digital tipping technology, finding that 87% of the surveyed business owners and members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) were unaware that Irish businesses using digital tipping technology have reported tip volumes increasing by more than three times.
Transparency remains central to digital tipping
With tipping becoming progressively cashless, fears can emerge that the tips customers leave are not going to the staff in their entirety, but rather to the business owners, as demonstrated when waitresses Lenka Laiermanova and Julia Marciniak sued The Ivy in Dublin for unfair dismissal after the employees attempted to receive their fair share of tips form customers.
The apprehension surrounding tips going to the business owners rather than the employee led to the introduction of a tipping solution which offers a digital tipping transaction separate to paying the bill named JustTip, founded by entrepreneurs James Fahy (23) and Ciara Walsh (22) in July 2021.
According to Fahy, โJustTip predominantly operates in the hospitality sector to provide clarity and transparency on tips left by customers for staffโ.
In addition to JustTip ensuring tips go directly to staff, it allows businesses to remain completely in line with tipping laws in the EU and the UK. With the introduction of technology such as JustTip, it allows the customer to feel in control of where they are placing their money.
However, it cannot be guaranteed that technology such as JustTip is used across the board and does not solve the issue of tipping becoming standard expectation rather than an expression of gratitude for exceptional service.
Tipping should reward service, not replace fair wages
This expectation raises concerns on how employees view their wages and their attitude towards customers. For instance, if a customer decides to forgo a tip in the US, that customer is unfortunately seen as rude and ungrateful. With this US standard in mind, it is difficult not to wonder whether this tension between employee and customer is a goal to be pursued.
However, on the opposition of this, Paynt has found that 74% of hospitality employers said tipping is seen as a positive recognition of service and 65% believe tipping can influence customer service levels. Much like JustTip, Paynt recognises the value in tipping employees but equally believes in the importance of tipping being transparent, honest and voluntary.
While tipping can be extremely valuable to employees, it is also at liberty to put customers in an uncomfortable situation where they feel they have a responsibility to ease the burden of the cost-of-living crisis for others.
In our current society, the struggle for basic needs to be met is higher than ever, and while it is important to help others if you are financially fit to do so, this burden should not be placed on every member of the public with an expectation to tip where it is not warranted.
Protecting the customerโs right to choose
With the CCPCโs guidance in mind, it is imperative that we exercise caution while tipping, especially on tipping terminals which may be difficult to navigate or where the skip button is intentionally hidden. It is also of the utmost importance that receipts are checked to eliminate chances of optional service charges being applied without the customersโ consent.
This has been explicitly highlighted by the CCPC; โ38% experienced an optional service charge on a bill. These must be opt-in only, not opt out. No optional charges should be added to a bill without a consumerโs prior consent.โ While tipping is an appreciated token of gratitude, customersโ have a right to not feel pressured into tipping if they do not feel the desire to do so.
Tipping in Ireland has been regarded as optional for many years, and going forward in order to preserve the relationship between employee and consumer it is imperative that this relationship is not corroded through the expectation to tip. Upon the decision to tip, it should be done in a manner that is honest, transparent, and clearly communicated, ensuring a beneficial experience for all parties involved.
Written by Alanna Cassidy | BA (Hons) English & Media |
