A TikTok user is dividing the internet after sharing a video where he refused to tip a bartender 24% for simply cracking open a beer, and the bartender’s reaction wasn’t what anyone expected.
According to BroBible, Aidan Chapman, who goes by @thatsexyguyontiktok on TikTok, said in a video with over 60,000 views that a bartender handed him the payment machine with a 24% tip already pre-selected after doing nothing more than opening a beer. Chapman set the tip to zero.
“He put 24% on the thing already and handed it to me,” Chapman said. “And I put zero. ‘Cause I’m like, ‘You just cracked a beer and you put 24%? Trying to take advantage of me? No.'” Instead of an awkward silence or a dirty look, the bartender responded with a cheerful, “Thanks, brother. You’re the best.”
Chapman wanted to see if the reaction was a one-off, so he had his friends order drinks and also skip the tip. Every single one of them got the exact same line, “thanks, brother, you’re the best.” Chapman believes the bartender eventually caught on because, later in the evening, he gave their group free shots.
“Moral of the story is, tip zero percent so then the bartender, who’s already having a terrible day, gets passive-aggressive towards you, does it multiple times, realizes he chose this job, and then feels sorry for you and gives you free shots,” Chapman concluded.
The comments section couldn’t agree on anything
The video predictably split opinions. Many commenters insisted that tipping at a bar is expected no matter what, though some agreed 24% for cracking open a beer was too much. “It’s $1 a drink, if you can’t do that then stay home,” one user wrote. Another said, “Bartender will never get more than a dollar for getting me a beer.”
Others pushed back against the idea of tipping for minimal service entirely. “The amount of people defending the bartender is WILD. His employer should pay him enough money not the customers,” one commenter wrote. “The more you tip the more these owners get away with not paying a livable wage.”
The split in the comments reflects a broader argument about tipping culture in the United States. According to a Reddit discussion, many people follow a general rule of $1 per beer or wine and $2 per cocktail at lower-to-mid-range bars. At higher-end places, or when paying a tab at the end of the night, a flat 20% tip is more common.
The reason tipping carries so much weight in the U.S. comes down to how service workers are paid. In the 1960s, Congress introduced a “tipping credit” that lets employers pay workers below the standard minimum wage if they earn tips, according to EF Education First. That policy is still in place across many states, meaning bartenders and servers often rely on tips as a major part of their income, not just a nice bonus on top.
Still, the frustration is real for customers too. Tip prompts have crept into places where they never used to exist. BroBible noted that people have shared examples of tip requests popping up at airport self-checkouts and even public water fountains. The gap between what customers feel they should tip and what the payment screen suggests keeps widening, and stories like Chapman’s keep fueling the debate.
At the end of the day, tipping remains optional in the United States. How much someone leaves, or whether they leave anything at all, depends on the situation, the service, and the person. But with pre-selected tip amounts climbing higher and showing up in more places, this argument isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
