Republican men from the Northeast may be the best tippers in America, according to a CreditCards.com survey.
Men, Republicans, Northeasterners, Baby boomers, and credit/debit card users tip a median of 20 percent. Women tip an average 16 percent, while Southerners, Democrats, and cash-users, average at 15 percent.
“When it comes to generous tipping, Republicans definitely beat Democrats. Fifty-nine percent of Republicans say their typical restaurant tip exceeds 15%, while just 46% of Democrats say the same,” CreditCards.com senior analyst Matt Schulz, told FOX Business.
“Democrats are also more likely than their GOP counterparts to say that they never tip hotel housekeepers, hair stylists/barbers and coffee shop baristas,” he added.
The study found that income plays a large factor in tipping — 99 percent of those earning $75,000 or more per year always tip, while those earning under $30,000 only tip 76 percent of the time.
Four out of five people always tip at restaurants, and generally leave an average 18 percent tip.
Results show that half of Americans are leaving tips a higher amount using debit/credit cards than with cash. 60 percent of card users claim to tip higher than 15 percent, compared to 45 percent of cash users.
These results follow previous data that card users tend to spend more than their cash-using counterparts. A Dun and Bradstreet study found that people spend 12-18 percent more when they pay with cards rather than using cash.
“When you pay with a card, your brain doesn’t see it as real money, so it’s not as painful,” Michigan State University Professor Michael McCall told CreditCards.com.
The survey also analyzed tipping at other service industries. Two-thirds of Americans always tip their hair stylist, 29 percent always tip their barista, and 27 percent always tip housekeeping hotel staff.
The poll shows while men tip more generously at restaurants, women tip barbers, baristas, and hotel housekeepers a higher amount.
