Starbucks Customers are Not a Fan of the New Tipping System

Starbucks has implemented a new digital tipping system that encourages customers to tip when they pay by card.

This change has angered many customers, who now feel “forced” to tip. According to Entrepeneur, “The coffee chain’s new system will prompt users who pay by card to leave a tip in the amount of $1, $2, $5, or a custom amount. In order to not leave a tip, customers have to hit the “No tip” button which makes the transaction uncomfortable, according to baristas, and feels “rude,” according to customers.” 

Some customers took to Twitter to share their opinions. One Twitter user confessed her displeasure with the new tipping system writing, “I’m really not trying to be rude bc I know customer service jobs are hard work but now they want tips at the drive-thru at my Starbucks when you pay with a card… you’re literally just handing it to me.”

Baristas also agree that the process is now uncomfortable. One individual described the new digital tipping system as one of the “top 10 worst disasters to ever happen to human kind” on TikTok. 

Entrepreneur reported that this change to the tipping system is part of Starbuck’s “Reinvention Plan.” Starbucks CEO, Howard Shultz, explained that the company has “already begun to take action on an inspired roadmap to build the future of Starbucks, all while staying true to our mission of uplifting communities through a shared love for coffee and further extending our coffee leadership and innovation.”