In an increasingly cashless society, wherever you spend money, there is often a prompt to spend more. Pubs, cafes, beauty salons, farmers’ markets, rideshares, food delivery services and even online shopping – the option to tip can present itself wherever you tap your card.
Until recently, tipping “wasn’t a big thing in Australia”, says Kieran Scott, a Brisbane-based web designer. “[Businesses] basically never asked if you wanted to leave a tip,” he says. Rather it was something you did “out of your own choice”.