August 25, 2025

Canadians are getting fed up with tipping culture, especially young people who feel the whole thing is getting out of control. A fresh survey by H&R Block Canada, done online with 1,790 people in February 2025, shows that most Canadians think tipping has become too much. Many say prompts to tip pop up everywhere—from the usual restaurants to surprising places like student shops and even physiotherapy clinics! According to the survey, a whopping 94 percent of Canadians say tipping has “gotten out of hand.” About 90 percent believe the usual tips asked for are too high. On average, people think a 9 percent tip is reasonable. But standard prompts often ask for more! Take Ren Alva, a university student from Edmonton. He was shocked when asked to tip at a U-pick berry farm where he and his friends did all the work. "They didn’t have to do anything. I don’t know who the money’s going to," he said, showing how odd some tipping places feel. More than half of the people surveyed, 57 percent, said they feel awkward skipping tips—even when they think tips are too high—so they give in and tip anyway. This shows how pressure to tip is strong, even if it’s unwelcome. Aditi Roy, a student at Toronto Metropolitan University who grew up in Asia where tipping isn’t common, shared a different view. In her home countries, customers pay service fees that go directly to workers, avoiding the awkwardness of tipping. She said tipping up to 20 percent in Canada is "ridiculous" and that she feels guilty if she doesn’t tip. Big chains like McDonald’s don’t accept tips at all. They say their restaurants run as a "team environment" and it’s "not about rewarding individuals." This adds another layer of confusion to the tipping game. With rising living costs and too many places asking for tips, Canadians want change. This mix of money worries, cultural differences, and workplace realities leads many to call for tipping reform. While tipping was once meant to reward good service, now it feels like a forced habit or a fix for low wages. Is it time for Canada to rethink how tipping works? The survey says loud and clear: yes!

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Tags: Tipping culture, Canada, Living costs, Gratuity, Survey, Youth frustration,