A shopper says she was stunned after buying a single can of soda at a grocery store and later noticing an unexpected charge on her receipt.
The experience was shared in a post on Reddit by user modernthangs, who said a $1 tip appeared on the receipt despite selecting the no-tip option during checkout.
The post, shared on the r/EndTipping forum, included a screenshot showing a $1.50 Coca-Cola purchase that totaled $2.50 after the added gratuity.
Payment Prompt
“I bought a can of coke for $1.50 at a local grocery store,” the original poster (OP) shared, explaining that the payment terminal prompted her to leave a tip. The woman said she selected $0.00 because it was a standard retail purchase.
After reviewing the emailed receipt later, the shopper noticed the additional dollar had been added anyway.
According to the OP, the store later told her the $1 tip is automatically applied to every purchase and can only be removed if a customer contacts the store directly.
The shopper questioned why the payment screen allowed customers to decline tipping if the fee would still be added.
The story provoked strong reactions from Reddit critics who questioned the practice.
“File a chargeback,” one advised the OP, adding, “It’ll cost them a lot more than a dollar.”
Another pundit said the practice could conflict with payment processor policies.
“I don’t know about illegal, but it is against Square’s terms of service to charge fees without obtaining consent from the customer,” the pundit continued.
“You can report them to Square if you care.
Common Frustration in Uncommon Places
“In addition, if you were charged this without prior knowledge or consent, and the purchase was made with credit card, you can charge it back under 13.5 Misrepresentation.”
The situation reflects growing frustration around tipping prompts appearing in places where they were once uncommon, including self-service kiosks and retail counters.
Newsweek has reported on similar reactions to tipping practices. In one case, a hotel breakfast bar drew criticism after an “optional” gratuity was automatically added to bills.
The story described a sign informing guests that an 18 percent gratuity would appear on their check unless they asked for it to be removed.
Etiquette expert Diane Gottsman told Newsweek that tipping expectations depend heavily on whether actual service is provided.
“Tip what is comfortable or, in the case of a buffet where you serve yourself with no one providing table service, you can hit the custom/no tip button without guilt,” Gottsman said in comments published in Newsweek.
Rising prices have also made many consumers more sensitive to extra fees and add-ons.
Climbing Costs
Dining costs in particular have climbed in recent years.
“Dining out has entered a new era of higher costs: restaurant prices rose 4.1 percent in 2025, roughly double the pace of grocery inflation, reflecting five years of steady increases in food and labor costs that have climbed 35 percent each,” Food & Wine reported in coverage cited by Newsweek.
While the grocery store mentioned in the Reddit post was not identified, the discussion reflects a wider tension over tipping prompts appearing in everyday transactions that historically did not include gratuities.
The original poster said they were left wondering whether the extra dollar should have appeared on the receipt at all.
Newsweek has reached out to modernthangs for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
