A viral video has sparked debate after a Shake Shack kiosk appeared to raise prices when a customer selected “No Tip.” The customer showed three Classic Shakes increasing from $5.99 to $6.49 each after he declined to tip.
Shake Shack is doing people dirty.
— Cathlina King ?? (@AmeraucanaLover) August 8, 2026
Is anyone else sick and tired of tipping culture?@shakeshack is this you❓ pic.twitter.com/2k3DwFEf8L
TikTok creator B.D. Powell shared the video while testing a theory from his wife. She believed Shake Shack increased prices when customers skipped the tip. Powell begins the video by showing three Classic Shakes on the kiosk. Each shake appears with a $5.99 price.
The kiosk then takes Powell to the tipping screen. It offers 15%, 18%, and 20% tipping options.
The screen also includes a “No Tip” option. Powell selects it while recording the transaction.
The kiosk then displays an unexpected message. “Uh Oh! There has been a pricing update on one or more of your cart items.”
The message sends Powell back to the cart. The three shakes now show a $6.49 price each.
That means the kiosk adds 50 cents to every shake. The three-shake order therefore increases by $1.50.
Powell reacts to the change during the video. “Everything just went up fifty cents,” he says.
He warned viewers, saying,“Do not go there,” Powell says.
Viewers Debate Shake Shack’s Tipping Prompt
On X, the video quickly attracted attention from viewers who questioned the tipping prompt. It had garnered more than 1 million views as of publication.
One X user criticized the idea of tipping after using a self-service kiosk. “If you have to touch a dirty ass screen to place your own order, that transaction should not be ‘tip’ worthy,” they wrote.
Another viewer questioned why customers should tip before receiving their food. “Why would anyone pay a tip BEFORE service is rendered?” they asked.
Other users focused on the amount of work customers now perform themselves. One commenter wrote, “We literally do everything now and all they do is hand over the food.”
Another user questioned tipping at fast-food restaurants altogether. “I would leave. I’m not tipping fast food places,” they wrote.
Some commenters also argued that customers should simply avoid businesses that use tipping prompts. One user wrote, “That’s when you just walk out and not eat at Shake Shack.”
Several users called the situation part of a broader tipping problem. One commenter wrote, “I love America, but this tipping situation is a problem.”
Others questioned whether customers should tip when they place their own orders. One user asked, “Why in the living FUCK would anyone tip a kiosk for taking their order?”
The discussion also moved toward whether customers should report businesses over tipping practices. One commenter suggested contacting a local Consumer Protection Agency or the Federal Trade Commission.
The video does not establish a causal link between the “No Tip” selection and the price change. It shows only that the price increased immediately after Powell selected the option.
The clip has nevertheless reignited arguments about tipping prompts, self-service kiosks, and the growing expectations placed on customers.
The details above reflect the video as originally posted on TikTok by @b.d.powell and shared on X. The cause of the price change shown in the video has not been independently verified.
