Credit card insignia and restaurant tipping: Evidence for an associative link.

Abstract

Prior research suggests that individuals estimate higher product values in the presence of credit cues. In this study, researchers examined whether the presence ofa particular credit cue would occasion higher tips (on a percentage basis) in a restaurant setting. In 2 experiments, the presence or absence of a credit cue was manipulated by presenting the dinner tab on a tip tray that either contained a major credit card emblem or was blank. In Experiment 1, diners tipped an average of 4.29% more in the presence of credit cues. Experiment 2 replicated these findings with a different restaurant and insignia. The data are interpreted within a social learning theoretical framework, and the implications for further studies of consumer influence and credit cues are considered.