‘This is a scam!’: Man tries to buy a single item at the airport, but is left furious after the machine adds a charge that makes absolutely no sense

People are being asked to tip more often and in higher amounts than before. Surveys show that most Americans are tired of this. One survey found that nearly two-thirds of Americans feel “tip fatigue.” The same survey showed that most people would prefer to pay higher prices instead of tipping.

Tipping should be simple. You pay for something and add extra money that goes to the worker who helped you. But what happens when no worker is there? According to Bro Bible, a TikTok video by Alexis Rose shows a man at an airport self-checkout machine holding an orange. 

He scans the orange, which costs $1.69. But the total comes to $2.04 because the machine automatically adds an 18% tip. The man can choose 0% tip, but the 18% is already selected. He complains that older shoppers might not notice this automatic tip and pay extra without realizing it.

Self-checkout tips might not go to workers at all

The real problem is that tips from self-checkout machines might never reach any employee. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act protects workers who receive tips. But since self-checkout machines are not employees, these protections don’t apply. Airports have become common places where travelers face unexpected situations and surprising encounters.

Holona Ochs, a professor at Lehigh University, says companies might use tipping at self-checkout just to make more money for themselves. They take advantage of people’s habit of tipping.

Some stores claim they give self-checkout tips to workers even though they don’t have to. The machine in the video appears to be from a company called OTG. An OTG spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that they pool all tips and split them among staff working that shift.

Data shows tip requests are showing up at more self-checkout stations. At the same time, surveys show customers hate these requests, especially when no human helps them. A 2023 PYMNTS study found that 75% of people think asking for tips at self-checkout is wrong. However, many people still pay these tips. 

Another study from 2023 found that over a quarter of people were asked to tip at self-checkout at least once. A 2025 Bankrate study found that about 4 in 10 Americans are annoyed by automatic tipping screens. About 27% said they tip less or not at all when they see a pre-selected tip amount. 

Airport travelers have also experienced other unusual incidents at security checkpoints beyond just tipping confusion. People in the video’s comments expressed anger about self-checkout tips. One person questioned how this is legal. Another asked why they should tip themselves for doing the work. A third person said a gas station self-scanner offered tip choices of $2, $4, and $5.