• Tip cues are becoming more common at digital, self-checkout kiosks.

• But customers are unsure where the money is going or whether the prompt is necessary.

• The issue highlights a bigger phenomenon: "tipping fatigue."

Self-checkout machines at cafes, sports stadiums, and airports are asking people to tip — and customers aren't happy about giving their extra money to machines.

A recent report from The Wall Street Journal noted the rise of digital, self-checkout kiosks hitting customers with a tip prompt at the end of their transactions. This prompt has frustrated people who are being asked to tip workers with whom they've had no interaction.

The report spoke to a half dozen consumers around the country. The majority found tip cues during self-checkout to be confusing — many wondered where the money was going — though some people were willing to tack on the extra fees.

One customer, for example, who took a beer from a self-service beer fridge at San Diego's Petco Park was asked to include a tip on his order, the Journal reported.

"I was confused, because it wasn't entirely clear who I was tipping," he told the Journal, though he tipped 20% anyway.

A spokeperson for the stadium, which is the home of the San Diego Padres, told the Journal that all tips go to employees.

A traveler, who was prompted to include a 10% to 20% top on a $6 bottle of water at an OTG gift shop in Newark Liberty International Airport, described the ask as a "bit of emotional blackmail," per the Journal. The customer did not tip.

A spokesperson for OTG told the journal that all tip money collected is pooled and then paid out to the staff members working that particular shift.

Tipping has been an increasingly controversial point of debate in the country, with many Americans experiencing "tipping fatigue," as they get asked to tip at more places and face the effects of inflation.

Landlords have taken to TikTok to make a case for gratuity to be added onto rent, while the first unionized Apple store in Maryland is fighting for the introduction of a tipping system.

That said, customers haven't stopped tipping: Total tips received by full-service restaurants and quick-service restaurants were up 16.5% and 15.86%, respectively, in the fourth quarter 2022 when compared to same period in 2021, a spokesperson for payment platform Block told Insider. This data reflects all tips received and not just from self-service kiosks.

Read the original article on Business Insider