McCall, M. & Belmont, H. Credit card insignia and restaurant tipping: Evidence for an associative link. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(5), 609-613.
Journal Abstract
Prior research suggests that individuals estimate higher product values in the presence of credit cues. In this study, researchers examined whether the presence of a 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.