The Tipping Divide
A viral tweet reignited an age-old debate: why do some Indians view the practice as a “scam,” while others a necessity?
“20% for what? INSANE!” reads a viral tweet from Indian YouTuber Ishan Sharma. He is upset that he has to “pay extra just because restaurants pay minimum hourly wages.” He adds, “The entitlement here is on another level.” In the replies, one user calls Indians “cheap,” and asks Sharma to return to India. Others explain to him that tipping 15% to 20% of the bill is a “social custom.”
Globally, gratuity norms vary — in some countries, tipping is even taboo. What’s more interesting is that though many Indians and Americans may appear to have starkly different attitudes toward tipping, their history around the practice has far more in common.