[corvallis]

These types of systems have pushed me toward carrying cash again. After feeling manipulated and/or guilty by the tip-requesting interface in situations where I would not normally tip or might throw spare change in a jar (vs the several dollars that's being solicited), I now pay in cash. It gives me the control over the transaction that I had previous to the interfaces' existence and I don't leave the situation with negative feelings.

[starky]

Why feel guilty about it at all? Up here in Canada we have had pin validated transactions for a long time now, and the terminals have had tip prompts at least since we switched to chip and pin. It is just a reflex now when ordering at a counter to select "$ tip" and hit enter for zero tip. Annoying, but when every place seems to do it, it is easy to get over the feelings of manipulation and guilt.

[corvallis]

1) I don't like feeling manipulated, regardless of if I am able to get over it. It's still a negative experience.

2) I belong to an ethnic minority that stereotypically does not tip well (though I don't see this in practice with others of my ethnic group). I don't want any judgment of me or my ethnic group based on if the person handing me my donut figures out, either by looking or by watching my hand motions, whether I tipped.

3) I don't doubt your description of the interface. I experience a similar interface. If I have to be prompted for a tip, then have to decline, then feel manipulated and have to expend mental energy to "get over it" (as you say), have to think about how I'm representing my ethnic group, and contemplate my role in the socioeconomic inequality present between myself and the people in the service industry (as mentioned elsewhere in these comments), well then I'm going to reduce that to a 2 step process where I hand over cash and receive my purchase.

[gdulli]

I hate paying with square so much that I've sometimes paid cash or just lowered a given business' standing in my preference hierarchy so I have to deal with the hassle less often. Everything about it is awkward, not just the tipping. There's no consistency. Every place has a slightly different variation, sometimes you swipe the card on the pad, sometimes insert it into a detached device, sometimes you hand it to the cashier. Writing your name on the pad with your finger is annoying as hell. Pads and screens make some tasks worse in general.

Paying used to be so simple, now between chips and square it's become a hassle.