BETA
Chapter 1
The surprising origins of the tip
Chapter 2
How the world handles gratuity
Chapter 3
The psychology and economics of tipping
Chapter 4
The rise of digital tip creep
YOUR GOAL
Master of The tipping debate
Ch 1 · The surprising origins of the tip
sloane Tipping's Surprising History
Way back in England, a long, long time ago, Tipping was a status flex, a high-society show. Then it sailed to America, where folks said 'no way!' But it settled right in, and it's still with us today.
sloane US businesses used tipping to avoid paying wages to newly freed Black workers, particularly Pullman railway porters.
sloane Wealthy Americans visiting Europe in the late 19th century brought tipping back to show off their high social status.
Fun Fact
Origin of vails: The word 'vail' comes from 'avail' and was a 17th-century English term for cash tips given to servants.
Glossary
gratuity (noun)
A sum of money given to a service worker in addition to the basic payment. After the Civil War, the Pullman Company used these payments to justify underpaying newly emancipated Black porters.
A sum of money given to a service worker in addition to the basic payment. After the Civil War, the Pullman Company used these payments to justify underpaying newly emancipated Black porters.
Quiz
Where did the custom of tipping first emerge in the 16th century before spreading to America?
Quiz
Why did wealthy Americans in the late 19th century champion the adoption of tipping?
Quiz
Which US industry was one of the earliest to widely adopt tipping for its workers after the Civil War?
Quiz
In 17th-century England, what was the term used for cash tips given to household servants?
Quiz
In what year was the early American anti-tipping movement completely defeated when the last state repealed its ban?
Quiz
Which US railway company hired formerly enslaved Black men as porters, popularizing tipping in America?