A woman on TikTok has gone viral for sharing what she calls a foolproof “rental car tip”—but not everyone’s impressed.

Shakira (@eastcobbsnob), a travel and lifestyle creator who splits her time between New York and Atlanta, posted a clip advising viewers to slip cash to a rental agent before getting their keys.

“When you hand the rental agent your driver’s license, be sure to place a tip with it,” she wrote in the on-screen caption of her video. “I always get a nice upgrade that way.”

The clip shows her walking toward a Jeep Wagoneer, with the caption, “It’s never failed me.” As of this writing, the video has garnered over 213,000 views.

Should You Tip? 

Tipping a rental car agent isn’t something most travelers are expected to do, and it’s not one of the jobs Business Insider lists as tip-reliant. Picking up and dropping off a vehicle is part of the job, and unlike hotel staff or restaurant servers, rental agents typically don’t work for tips.

Still, there are moments when handing over a few dollars makes sense. On the r/EnterpriseCarRental subreddit, some users claimed they’d heard of agents upgrading cars for customers who slipped them cash—the same advice Shakira gave in her viral video. Others, though, called it unethical and warned it could even put those employees at risk of losing their jobs.

According to HuffPost, tipping is more appropriate when an agent goes above and beyond, such as helping with heavy bags, installing a car seat, or offering genuinely helpful local advice. In those cases, a couple of dollars is plenty, and even $5 isn’t out of place if they’ve made your day easier.

Shuttle drivers fall into a different category. Since they’re loading bags and making sure travelers get to and from the rental lot, tipping them is more in line with standard service jobs. Some companies also offer pick-up services, sending drivers directly to homes or hotels. While tipping isn’t mandatory, it’s often treated in the same way as tipping a cab driver—optional but appreciated.

What you don’t need to do is tip for routine service, or worse, feel pressured into it. If an employee hints that a tip is expected just for handing over the keys—or suggests slipping cash is the way to score an upgrade—that’s a red flag.

So, should you tip? Not by default. But if someone makes your travel smoother, tossing a few bucks their way isn’t a bad call.

Is Tipping Culture Getting Out of Hand? 

Many Americans believe that tipping culture has gone too far. A March WalletHub survey found that nine in ten people think it’s “out of control,” with many pointing to businesses leaning on tips to cover wages instead of paying workers themselves.

Other polls show the same frustration. A June Bankrate survey reported that 41 percent of Americans think tipping culture is out of control. Even in 2023, the Pew Research Center found that 72 percent said tipping is expected in far more places than it was just five years prior.

What was once reserved for restaurant servers and specialized service jobs has now extended to takeout counters and, in some cases, even self-checkout kiosks. The spread has left customers feeling pressured—turning what’s supposed to be a gesture of thanks into something that feels mandatory.

Viewers React

Even viewers of Shakira’s video said her suggestion to tip rental car drivers was proof that tipping culture had gone too far.

“Tip culture in America is getting out of hand,” one wrote.

“Gotta tip for everything, man, [oh] man,” added another. 

“At what point does a tip become a bribe?” asked a third.

Not everyone agreed, however. Some commenters insisted that tipping does lead to upgrades.

“I’ve done this in Vegas for hotel rooms, [and it] has worked almost every time,” one viewer wrote.

“[The] same thing goes for hotel front desk agents,” said another.

Others echoed what Redditors argued: Tipping a rental agent crosses an ethical line.

“In most places, that’s called bribing,” one said.

“I never understood this concept,” wrote another. “Or you could just use that extra 20 and actually upgrade the car yourself.”

Motor1 has reached out to Shakira via a direct message on TikTok. It emailed Hertz and Enterprise.

 
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