Purpose: This study investigates how servicescape elements—physical, social, and electronic—influence customer satisfaction, tipping behavior (measured as tip size), and future tipping intention in online motorcycle ride-hailing. It further examines the mediating roles of satisfaction and attitude toward tipping and introduces warm glow as an anticipated emotional outcome shaping prosocial payment behavior. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework, the study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test a conceptual model using survey data from 555 ride-hailing users in Indonesia. Findings: Social servicescape—particularly driver appearance and courteous behavior—emerged as the strongest predictor of customer satisfaction, which in turn positively influences attitude toward tipping. While a favorable attitude toward tipping significantly predicts warm glow and future tipping intention, it does not directly translate into a higher tip size. Instead, tipping behavior appears largely situational and is more strongly shaped by fairness-related cues, such as ride fare. Intrinsic and duty-based (obligatory) motives enhance pro-tipping attitudes, whereas extrinsic motives exert a negative effect. Warm glow, conceptualized as an anticipated emotional reward, strengthens future tipping intention but is not associated with the monetary magnitude of the tip. Research limitations/implications: The study’s generalizability is limited to high-contact, app-mediated services in Indonesia. Self-reported tipping behavior may be subject to bias. Future research should examine other digital service contexts, conduct cross-cultural comparisons, and employ longitudinal or platform-generated behavioral data. Practical implications: Platforms should prioritize improvements in the social servicescape, particularly driver appearance and interpersonal conduct. Reliability improvements in vehicle condition and app performance can also foster future generosity. While tip size is shaped primarily by situational fairness considerations, emotionally resonant and culturally aligned in-app messaging may strengthen anticipated emotional rewards (warm glow), thereby sustaining future tipping intention. Social implications: In contexts where formal labor protections are limited, tipping can function as a discretionary mechanism to support driver welfare. In collectivist societies, tipping may also reinforce social norms of generosity and provide customers with emotionally meaningful prosocial engagement. Originality/value: This study advances servicescape and tipping research by demonstrating a decoupling between attitudinal evaluation and immediate monetary behavior in digital services. By reconceptualizing warm glow as an anticipated emotional outcome embedded within attitudinal processes, the study offers a psychologically grounded explanation of how prosocial payments are sustained over time in low-stakes, app-mediated service contexts. © 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.