It seems someone is asking for a tip pretty much anywhere you go.

Whether it’s a fast-food outlet, a sit-down restaurant, a massage or even a self-checkout machine, Canadians can’t escape being asked for tips and they appear to be reaching their tipping point.

More than a third of Canadians are tipping less frequently than they did a year ago, according to a recent survey by fintech platform Adyen NV, in what the company calls a “clear signal that the country may be reaching peak tip fatigue.”

Younger Canadians are most likely to tip less, the survey said, with 46 per cent of gen-Zers and 44 per cent of millennials admitting to cutting back on tips.

But income doesn’t seem to be a differentiator, as Canadians bringing in $100,000 a year were just as likely to tip less this year as middle- and lower-income earners.

It’s perhaps easy to draw a line between the current economic uncertainty and less frequent tipping, but the survey points to several other reasons Canadians aren’t paying as much for services anymore.

Overall fatigue has most people skipping a tip at fast-food joints and self-checkout kiosks. Coffee shops, meanwhile, were mixed, with 45 per cent of their customers not tipping.

Canadians are also more interested in rewarding good service these days than in prior years. Only 34 per cent of respondents said they tip only because it’s expected, but 71 per cent said they will tip for a job well done.

Digital prompts — which offer suggested tips when making a purchase — are making a quarter of Canadians tip less than they intended.

This echoes an HR Block report from March , which said 94 per cent of Canadians are annoyed by digital gratuity prompts, but 57 per cent said they generally leave a tip anyway.

The H&R Block survey said 53 per cent of Canadians identify as “frugal tippers,” meaning they typically choose the lowest option on the digital prompt, while 39 per cent generally choose the steeper tip options.

Even though digital prompts suggest tips in the 15 per cent to 18 per cent range, Canadians say nine per cent is the sweet spot for tips.

They believe servers should expect a 13 per cent tip, the most among a list of nine services, but hotel housekeeping staff, valet parking attendees and tour guides should only be tipped seven per cent.

 Sign up here to get Posthaste delivered straight to your inbox.

A slight majority of Canadians believe Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to run deeper deficits will help the economy in the long run, and accept his argument that boosted defence spending will help weather the tariff war.

A recent poll shows that 53 per cent of Canadians believe additional deficit expenditures will foster economic growth, while just 17 per cent disagree with Carney’s plan for defence spending.

  • 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks
  • Today’s Data: U.S. consumer price index for August
  • Earnings: Adobe Inc.
  • What life after Hudson’s Bay has in store for Zellers and the iconic retailer’s other legacy brands
  • Gen Z workers are Canada’s biggest savers, but it may come at cost of home ownership, study finds
  • B.C. woman is facing the headache of turning her RRSPs into RRIFs now that she’s 71
  • Teck shareholder says higher premium might be needed in Anglo deal

Carney is expected to unveil his first budget in October. Read more here. Transitioning from registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) to registered retirement income funds (RRIFs) is the perfect time to consolidate accounts and investments, which will make it easier to manage and monitor, while ensure the investor is following a cohesive strategy.

Read more here. Are you worried about having enough for retirement? Do you need to adjust your portfolio? Are you starting out or making a change and wondering how to build wealth? Are you trying to make ends meet? Drop us a line at

wealth@postmedia.com with your contact info and the gist of your problem and we’ll find some experts to help you out while writing a Family Finance story about it (we’ll keep your name out of it, of course).

McLister on mortgages

Want to learn more about mortgages? Mortgage strategist Robert McLister’s

Financial Post column can help navigate the complex sector, from the latest trends to financing opportunities you won’t want to miss. Plus, check out his

Financial Post on YouTube

mortgage rate page for Canada’s lowest national mortgage rates, updated daily. Visit the Financial Post’s YouTube channel for interviews with Canada’s leading experts in business, economics, housing, the energy sector and more.

Today’s Posthaste was written by Ben Cousins with additional reporting from Financial Post staff, Canadian Press and Bloomberg.

Have a story idea, pitch, embargoed report or a suggestion for this newsletter? Email us at

  • Barrick sells its last Canadian gold mine
  • Meet the Keevils: the family at the heart of Teck

posthaste@postmedia.com . Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the business news you need to know — add financialpost.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here