With prices climbing and wallets feeling tighter, tipping culture in Canada has become more of a hot topic than ever. These days, it feels like just about every transaction ends with a screen asking if you want to add 15%, 20%, or even more — no matter what you’re buying or who’s serving you.
A few months ago, we asked Canadians about the weirdest places they’ve been prompted to leave a tip. Some of the most surprising answers included clothing stores, self-checkout machines, and even funeral homes.
This time, we flipped the script and asked MTL Blog readers on social media: “Who’s someone you refuse to tip, even if they expect one?”
Here are some of the top responses from the comments section.
Takeout counters
A lot of readers said they draw the line when there’s no service involved beyond handing over the food. One person put it plainly, revealing that if they’re “ordering at a counter, carrying the food to the table, and throwing out the garbage,” they’re not tipping.
At a buffet
A few commenters mentioned buffets, where you often serve yourself and clear your own table. The logic? If the experience is closer to a cafeteria than a restaurant, they’re not leaving anything extra.
Restaurant owners
Several people felt that tipping should go to staff — not the people setting the prices.
Self-serve coffee shops
Some cafés have table service, while others are entirely self-serve. And for at least one commenter, that’s the line between whether a tip is deserved. They described ordering at the counter, picking up their drink, and clearing their own table, all without anyone ever speaking to them.
At the drive-thru
Starbucks, St-Hubert BBQ, and even Dairy Queen are among a growing number of drive-thru spots that include a tipping option at the window. It’s a relatively new (and not-so-popular) development.
Delivery drivers
Perhaps the most controversial comment in the thread, one user argued that delivery drivers should not be tipped. Whether they were referring to the person dropping off your restaurant order or an Amazon package was unclear.
Cashiers
A few readers mentioned cashiers as non-tipped roles. While certain grocery stores have tip jars or baggers who accept tips, folks seem to reject tipping for simply ringing up purchases.
Businesses that prefer cash
One commenter said they tip less at spots that charge for credit card use, adding, “These owners want cash payments so they can skim money.”
Any place that makes it mandatory
Many said the pressure to tip, whether through auto-prompts or built-in service charges, turns them off entirely. If it’s not optional, they’re out.
Rude people
One of the more popular answers. For a lot of folks, attitude matters more than job title.
While some of the responses from MTL Blog readers might sound a bit harsh, it’s worth noting that Montrealers are still among the more generous tippers in Canada.
A recent survey by Lightspeed Commerce, which polled over 7,000 restaurant-goers across North America and Europe, found that 35% of Montrealers tip between 15% and 20% (compared to just 29% of Canadians overall).
That said, tipping culture remains a hot-button issue. In the same survey, 33% of Montreal respondents said they’d prefer to pay higher menu prices if it meant doing away with tipping entirely.
Quebec has already taken some steps to bring more clarity to the system. Bill 72, passed unanimously last fall, now requires restaurants and similar businesses to base suggested tip amounts on the pre-tax total.
One thing’s clear: the days of tipping without thinking are long gone.
