Nearly one in three British pubs is asking customers whether they want to leave a tip when buying drinks at the bar, highlighting the growing influence of American-style tipping culture across the UK hospitality industry.
Data from payments provider Epsos Now shows that 31.65% of the pubs and bars using its card machines have enabled automatic tipping prompts. The company supplies payment systems to around 10% of British pubs, with almost 1,500 of the 4,800 venues on its network offering customers the option to add a discretionary tip to their bill.
Customers are typically presented with options of 10%, 15% or 20% before completing a card or contactless payment.
The trend reflects a broader shift in British hospitality, where businesses facing rising operating costs are increasingly using digital payment systems to encourage gratuities.
Martin Quinn of Campaign for Cash described the practice as an increasingly common “stealth tax” on pub-goers.
“In the old days, you might put £1 or £2 in a tip jar,” he said. “But with card machines, they’re thrusting it at you every time you get a drink.”
The spread of tipping at the bar follows several other changes in the industry. In 2024, a number of venues operated by The Scotsman Group began adding a 2% service charge to drinks. Gordon Ramsay also introduced 20% service charges at some of his restaurants during periods such as Christmas and New Year.
Pubs under growing financial pressure
Pub operators have faced mounting costs in recent years, including higher taxes, energy bills, wages and beer prices.
Around two British pubs closed every day during the first quarter of 2026, according to the Beer and Pub Association.
Richard Nolan of Epsos Now said tipping was becoming one way for hospitality businesses to offset rising costs without increasing advertised prices.
“Having the option to leave gratuity supports businesses and the staff who provide great service without needing to inflate menu prices,” he said.
But the growing use of tipping prompts has also added to concerns about the changing pub experience.
Traditional pub habits are increasingly being replaced or restricted by table reservations during major sporting events, more structured queues and attempts to regulate where customers can drink.
In London, Westminster Council recently faced criticism over draft proposals that appeared to suggest restrictions on “vertical drinking” — standing while drinking — outside venues in Soho. The council later said it did not intend to introduce such a ban and promised to revise the wording of its licensing policy.
Another London pub, The Champion in Notting Hill, also recently faced a licensing review after a resident complained about people standing outside with drinks. The pub, reportedly once frequented by members of Queen, is awaiting a decision from Kensington and Chelsea Council.
For British pub-goers, the tipping prompt is therefore becoming part of a broader transformation of the traditional drinking culture — driven by both rising costs for businesses and the growing use of cashless payments.
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