"Would you voluntarily pay a higher amount for anything just because you were given the option to do so?" asks Edward Vargo, a financial advisor in Westlake, Ohio. "I would simply ignore anything above 20 percent, unless you feel you have received really exceptional service."
When ultra-generous tip options are waved in customers' faces, it can feel very much like "tip shaming." Rather than appearing miserly to the service employee, people often just tap one of the available options and swallow the additional cost.
So how can consumers make a snap decision that is appropriate for them? It may seem like a straightforward transaction, but there are actually many factors packed into that one decision, advises etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, author of "Modern Etiquette for a Better Life" and founder of the Protocol School of Texas.
What can you afford? Was the service above-and-beyond in any way? And is the service professional largely dependent on those tips for their income?
"You decide what you tip, and you should not feel pressured by the app," says Gottsman. "So go with your feelings, but please tip fairly."
And if you are feeling guilty about not agreeing to a lavish tip? Financial planner Vargo has some simple advice: "Get over it."
This article was provided by Reuters.