merch tips have always been a thing. if you like the person at merch, who has a real fuckin tough job, what's the harm in throwing your change in the tub. its not mandatory so what is there to complain about?
Not in Europe and the UK. Even now it's not the norm when US bands tour here. Partly because a lot of them use those tablets now, but I've had bands say to me over the table, because it's often the bands themselves manning the table (which is as it should be if they can't afford to pay a merch person without relying on tips...) to just skip when it asks for a tip because they get that it's not part of the culture over here.