American tipping culture is out of control.

The other night I took my wife and son out to dinner, and our total amount was $64, which wasn’t so bad until our server asked me to scan a QR code on the table to pay the tab.

The amounts were arranged in a manipulative dark UX pattern, ordered from highest to lowest, with 25% set as the default amount, and the lowest preset was 21%. To enter a custom amount, you have to locate the tiny “Custom tip” option, practically hidden at the top right of the screen, the spot the user testing heatmaps absolutely identified as the least likely for your eyes to scan.

Not to be defeated by a tip shaming tab-splitting app I’d never heard of before, I outsmarted the system by pretending I couldn't scan the code and asked to pay with the handheld Toast terminal, where the presets were more normal, starting at 15%.

Go check out Sunday (sundayapp.com) if you want a laugh, or to feel depressed. Their slogan is (I shit you not), “Turn every payment into profit.”