Tipping used to be pretty straightforward. You left something extra for your server at a sit-down restaurant, tipped the bartender after a few drinks, and usually gave the delivery driver a little extra when your pizza arrived.

Now, tip screens seem to show up almost everywhere. Coffee shops, bakeries, food trucks, and takeout counters can all ask for a gratuity, which can make the decision feel a lot less clear.

Takeout is one of the biggest gray areas. After all, you’re the one driving to the restaurant, picking up the food, and taking it home. So, is a tip still expected?

There’s no single answer that applies to every restaurant. Still, people who work in restaurants point out that quite a bit happens before your order is placed in your hands. Here are some of the things they wish customers knew.

Taking Your Order Takes Work

Someone has to receive your order, whether it comes through the phone, the restaurant’s website, an app, or a delivery platform. During a busy lunch or dinner rush, that can mean keeping track of many orders while answering questions and helping customers at the counter.

A takeout order may seem quick from the customer’s side, but there can be several steps involved before the kitchen even starts cooking.

Someone Has to Keep the Kitchen on Schedule

Once an order comes through, employees have to make sure everything is prepared at the right time.

Staff may be coordinating with cooks, checking which orders need to go out first, and keeping an eye on pickup times. A meal that arrives at the counter right when the customer walks in often takes some planning behind the scenes.

Packing the Food Takes More Than a Few Seconds

Takeout orders have to be packed before they can leave the restaurant. Someone may need to portion food into containers, label the order, add sauces, include napkins and utensils, and make sure everything requested is in the bag.

Hot foods may need to be kept separate from cold items, while soups, drinks, and sauces need containers that won’t leak during the trip home.

Special Requests Add Extra Steps

Extra sauce might seem like a tiny request, but every modification has to make its way from the person taking the order to the kitchen.

Allergy requests, substitutions, missing ingredients, extra toppings, and other changes can require extra communication and checking before the meal goes out. The more customized an order is, the more work may be involved.

A Takeout Tip May Be Shared

The employee who hands you the bag isn’t always the only person who benefits from a takeout tip.

Restaurant policies differ, but some establishments divide tips among several employees. That can include hosts, cashiers, kitchen staff, and other workers involved in preparing and packing takeout orders.

Many Takeout Employees Don’t Make Huge Wages

Pay varies widely depending on the restaurant, location, position, and local labor laws. Some employees earn a regular hourly wage, while others work under compensation systems that place more importance on tips.

For workers who do receive part of a restaurant’s tip pool, even a small amount from takeout orders can add up over the course of a shift.

So, Should You Tip?

There’s no universal rule requiring a tip every time you pick up food. Takeout isn’t the same as full table service, and customers have different budgets and circumstances.

That said, leaving a small tip can be a nice way to recognize good service, especially if the staff was helpful, your order involved several special requests, or the restaurant made an effort to get everything ready on time.

A tip isn’t the only way to show appreciation, either. Being polite, checking your order before leaving, and treating restaurant employees with respect can make their shift a little easier.

If you can afford to leave something extra, it’s a thoughtful gesture. If you can’t, that doesn’t automatically make you a bad customer. The best choice depends on the service you received, the restaurant’s setup, and what fits your budget.