I usually tip for carside service as well as takeout where an employee who is normally paid on reduced wages (i.e. a waiter, hostess, or bartender) has to prepare my meal to go and ring it up for me. Tips are considered to be part of their pay and they are given a reduced wage rate as a result.

My exception to the rule is somewhere that is exclusively carryout (a pizza from a carry out only joint) or when the owner is the one who is handling my order (at my local sushi joint, for example, the owner rings takeout orders under their own id, not that of the wait staff or sushi bar - and I know from talking to the staff that tips on takeout do NOT get passed to them, so I don't tip on takeout).

I agree tipping in the US has gotten out of control. If I remember right, 20 years ago 15% was the standard and 20% was for extra service. Now it seems to be creeping up to 20% standard and 25% for great service. At this trend it will be 30% by the time I retire.

Oh no. Increasingly for those visiting the US from overseas the serving staff will start to deliver an unsmiling, patronising and possibly aggressive "hard sell" about how you have to tip, how much, etc, sometimes more than once during the meal.

We do Outback curbside a lot, and I usually tip 10%. I'll go to 15% if it's expecially cold outside. :D

Yeah, and the madness is spreading with the Americans!

I was chased out of a bar in Cancun once, by a barman asking for a tip! I told him I did tip him (which I actually did) opened the door and threw him back in.

Same trip did a little tour, at the end of the tour the tip jar came out, all the americans automatically put their hands in their pockets, and the hard sell came out with 'hey man don't forget my tip'. That cemented his lack of tip from my group.

the tip situation is getting worse!
 

Tip jars are turning up nearly everywhere, even at the dry cleaners!

I asked the manager of a local Applebees about tips for carry out. He said 'we don't encourage tipping for that as we want our customers to return to buy more food. He said that all tips are pooled and those who do carry out get their share.' But the credit card charge slip has a tip line!

I've long suspected that tips added to credit card charges are pooled in many places, but at this Applebees, apparently all tips are pooled and shared. Elsewhere?

Sorry, I don't think you need to tip for anything except the following:

- table service
- bellhop service
- food delivery
- bartender

I think Americans tip way too much.

We tip about $3 per order

I think a lot of those used to be charity jars. What a shame, confusing people "should I put the 4 pennies I got for change in the tip jar or the Ronald McDonald House?"

I don't tip at Sonic. I was told they get normal wage, not tip wage. If you don't get paid tip wage, you shouldn't expect tips.

I dont tip for pick up. To avoid the Credit Card Tip line i always pay with cash.

Which usually makes me take a considerable amount off the tip for that rudeness.

Why not simply cross out the tip and total lines? You are missing out on the miles you could earn with FFP credit cards.

Well here is my 2 cents worth from someone in the industry. I pay to-go staff a higher wage then servers.They answer the phones, package the meals and make sure the order is the way the customer wanted it.
I would say on average a person tips 10% per order. Just a pizza a dollar or two is fine,dinner for four with appetizers and desserts 10%.

There's always a few cheapskates. There always will be. I like a system where good service is rewarded and poor service is not. The alternative is average service at best with the cost included in the price of everyone's meal. I wish more jobs were paid with tips. I just got back from shopping at TJ Maxx which locally employs the slowest, most disinterested cashiers. I'd love to put a zero on the tip line there!