Tip jar

A tip jar in a New Jersey restaurant

A tip jar, also known as a tip cup is a container, commonly a glass jar, into which customers can put a gratuity. A tip jar is usually situated at the point-of-sale at many businesses. Although common in many countries around the world, tip jars in food and drink establishments are ubiquitous in the United States.

The tip jar has become a source of controversy. Customers may feel discouraged from patronizing establishments using them. They may also feel that tip jars are inappropriate at certain types of establishments such as movie-theater concession counters, dry cleaners, take-out restaurants, gym locker rooms or grocery bagger's work stations. Many feel social pressure to use them,[1] or that they are paying too high a total price when purchasing a simple item.[2]

  1. ^ "The culture of tip jars". Enquirer.com. 2004-09-13. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  2. ^ Susannah Cahalan (2010-04-11). "Tip-jar madness takes city | New York Post". Nypost.com. Retrieved 2014-06-12.