How to Tip

Last Updated: February 17, 2023 References

Tipping etiquette can seem intricate and intimidating. You should always leave a tip based on the customary gratuity offered for the type of service performed and the quality of that service.

Part 1

Part 1 of 9:

Food Service

1
Tip waiters 15% for adequate service. Tip 15% of the bill, excluding tax, when the service is adequate. Great service warrants a 20% tip, while poor service only demands a 10% tip.^{[1]
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- If the service is abysmal and you know for certain that your waiter is at fault, it is socially acceptable to leave no tip or a tip that is less than 10% of your bill.
- The head waiter, captain, or Maitre d’ usually receives a portion of your table server's tip, so you can tip your server extra if you want to tip the head waiter. Alternatively, you can tip him or her separately and discreetly for special efforts, in which case, a $5 to $25 tip usually suffices.
2
Know how to tip sommeliers, wine stewards, and bartenders. These individuals are usually tipped based on the cost of the alcohol they serve you.^{[2]
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- Tip a sommelier or wine steward 15% of the cost of the bottle.
- When paying for drinks separately, tip the bartender $1 per alcoholic drink and $0.50 per soft drink.
- When paying at the end of your tab, tip 15% to 20% of the cost of your overall tab, making sure that you tip at least $1 per alcoholic drink and $0.50 per soft drink ordered.
- Note that you can also pre-tip bartenders to encourage better service.
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3
Give your delivery person a 10% tip. When you order delivery, such as pizza delivery, the individual who brings it to your door should be tipped 10% of your bill. The tip should be at least $2 or more, even if that comes to an amount larger than 10% of your bill.
- For notably difficult deliveries, tip 15% to 20% of the bill. A difficult delivery might include one made during a storm.
- Note that you do not need to tip anyone when you order takeout.
4
Tip the attendants. At a high class restaurant, you might run into a coatroom attendant, parking valet, garage attendant, or washroom attendant. These individuals also need to be tipped.
- Give the coatroom attendant $1 per coat.
- Parking valets and garage attendants should receive $2 to bring your car to you.
- Tip a washroom attendant anywhere from $0.50 to $1.
5
Consider tipping the barista. While no tip is required, you might want to drop your change or a few coins into a tip jar if there is one sitting on the counter.

Part 2

Part 2 of 9:

Travel

1
Leave a tip for the hotel staff. Nearly every member of the hotel staff should receive some sort of tip, especially if you are staying at an actual hotel rather than a motel or inn.
- A bellman, bellhop, or porter should receive a minimum $2 tip if you only have one bag or a minimum $5 tip if you have more than one bag. Otherwise, tip the bellhop $1 to $2 per bag.
- Tip the concierge $5 to $20 depending on the service provided. The more exceptional the service, the higher the tip. You do not need to tip for directions, though.
- Give the housekeeper a $2 to $5 tip per night. Usually, you should pay this tip daily, but you may also choose to leave a lump sum tip at checkout.
- If gratuity is not included in your check when you order room service, leave a $5 minimum tip.
- Tip the hotel doorman $1 per bag when he or she helps with the luggage, or $1 per person when he or she hails a cab.
2
Tip your driver. Any individual who drives you as a service should receive a tip.
- A bus driver who is not working mass transit receives a $1 to $2 tip, assuming he or she handles luggage.
- A personal chauffeur, even a temporary one, should receive a 10% to 15% tip based on the cost of the service.
- Taxi drivers usually receive a 10% tip, or $2 to $5 at minimum. Note that this can vary depending on locality, though. If in doubt, tip 15% of the cost of the drive, plus an extra $1 to $2 if the driver helps you with your bags.
3
Leave a tip for the airport skycap. If you check in curbside, the skycap receives a $1 tip per bag. If the skycap takes your bags to the check-in counter, tip $2 per bag.
4
Learn about tipping on cruises. Tipping policies always vary from cruise to cruise. Contact the cruise line you are traveling through to find out about the customary gratuities they expect.

Part 3

Part 3 of 9:

Daily Life

1
Give a tip for those in charge of your personal grooming. Anyone who cares for your hair, nails, or other aspects of your personal grooming will usually receive a tip.
- Hairdressers and barbers receive 15% to 20% of the cost of your haircut, with a minimum tip of $1. For economy barbers and salons, a tip as low as 10% is acceptable.
- For those who provide hair-related services like shampooing and shaving, tip $1 to $2 to the service provider.
- Give a manicurist 15% of the cost of the service.
- Those delivering a spa service receive a 15% to 20% tip, but a masseuse working outside of a spa receives a 10% to 15% tip. If the service is provided by the owner, you do not need to offer a tip.
- Shoe shiners receive a $2 to $3 tip.
2
Tip movers. If you hire movers to move your belongings to a new apartment, house, or office, tip each person $10 to $25 at the completion of the service.
3
Consider tipping furniture deliverers. The tip offered to workers for delivery furniture varies depending on the difficulty of the delivery. Oftentimes, the tip is somewhere between $5 to $20.
- For simple deliveries, however, the tip can be as simple as a cold drink.
4
Know when tips are not necessary. There are some service jobs that do not require a tip. Notably, handymen do not require gratuities.
- Gas station attendants do not usually receive a tip, either, but you can offer a $2 to $4 tip if in doubt.

Part 4

Part 4 of 9:

Holiday Tips

1
Note the benefit of holiday tipping. It is not required to offer an extra tip to service people who regularly take care of you during the holiday season, but doing so is semi-customary and generally recommended as a means of building a positive relationship.
2
Give an extra week's pay when applicable. Service persons who you hire directly will usually receive an extra week's pay around the holidays.
- These individuals can include your babysitter, nanny, gardener, and housekeeper.
3
Consider tipping anyone else in your life who performs a service. Those who regularly provide you with a service even though you do not hire them to do so may also receive a special holiday tip.
- Offer your doorman a bottle of wine or box of chocolates.
- Tip the garbage collector, newspaper delivery person, and janitor between $15 to $25.
- Mail carriers can receive a $15 to $20 non-cash tip.
- Discreetly tip your personal trainer $20 to $50, depending on how often you work with him or her.

Part 5

Part 5 of 9:

Tipping in the Rest of the Americas

1
Tip service providers in Mexico.^{[3]
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Research source} Pesos are preferred to the dollar when you tip in Mexico, but you can technically tip in dollars if necessary.
- Offer a 10% to 15% tip to your server at a restaurant.
- At a hotel, give the porter 10 to 20 pesos per bag, the housekeeper 20 to 50 pesos per night, and the concierge 50 to 150 pesos per favor.
- Tour guides should receive 100 to 200 pesos per full day per person, but combined driver-guides should get 200 to 300 pesos.
- Gas station attendants should be tipped 5 pesos per fill-up.
2
Give a good tip in Canada. Policies concerning gratuities are similar in Canada when compared to the policies of the United States.
- Offer 15% to 20% of the bill to your waiter at a restaurant.
- At your hotel, the concierge should get $10 to $20 per favor. Porters get $1 to $2 per bag. Housekeepers get $2 per day, or $5 per day at a luxury hotel.
- Tip taxi drivers 10% to 15% of the fare.
- Offer tour guides a collective 15% of the cost at the end of an excursion.
3
Know how to tip in Costa Rica. Tipping costs are fairly cheap in Costa Rica, partially because of the fact that Costa Ricans are paid better than many other service providers in Central America.
- Your restaurant tip is included in the bill, but you can offer something extra if desired.
- At a hotel, give $0.25 to $0.50 per bag to the porter or $1 per bag at a fine hotel. The housekeeper should get $1 per day.
- Taxi drivers receive a $2 to $4 tip for a long drive, or a $1 to $2 tip from a trip from the airport to your hotel. Tour guides receive $5 to $10 per person per day.
- On a boat ride, tip the captain $5 to $10. This will be distributed throughout the crew.

Part 6

Part 6 of 9:

Tipping in Europe

1
Know how to tip in the United Kingdom. The guidelines vary depending on service type and quality, but are fairly simple once you get used to them. Overall, not much is expected of travelers.
- A service gratuity is usually included on your bill in a restaurant, but if not, tip 10% to 15% of your bill. Note that tipping is not customary in pubs.
- At a hotel, give 1 to 2 pounds per bag for porters and per night for housekeepers. You can offer up to 5 pounds at a five-star hotel.
- Tip your cab driver 10% or less. You should also tip a guide or personal driver up to 10 percent at the end of a day.
2
Tip in France. The appropriate tip amount varies based on service.
- No tip is required at restaurants, but locals usually leave up to 10% in coins. You do not need to tip at a bar.
- Tip 1 euro per bag at a hotel and 1 to 2 euros per night for the housekeeper. Tip the concierge 10 to 15 euros for each restaurant reservation made, and pay half on arrival and half at departure.
- Guides receive tips between 25 and 50 euros, but private airport transfers should receive 10 to 20 euros.
3
Leave an appropriate tip in Germany. Tipping is fairly straightforward in Germany.
- Add a 10% to 15% tip when paying your bill at a restaurant or bar.
- Give the porter at a hotel 3 euros per bag. The housekeeper gets 5 euros per night, and the concierge should get 20 euros if helpful service was provided.
4
Give a good tip in Italy. You only need to worry about tipping servers at restaurants and hotel staff.
- Offer a 10% tip in a restaurant, but do not exceed that amount.
- Porters get 5 euros per bag and housekeepers get 1 to 2 euros per night.
5
Tip in Spain. Vary your tip based on the service provided, and always pay in cash rather than credit card.
- For good service at a restaurant, tip 7% to 13%. Skip the tip for bad service.
- Concierges should receive a 5 to 10 euro tip for special favors. Cleaning staff at a hotel should get 5 euros a day, and bellboys should get 1 euro per bag.
- Tip a tour guide 30 to 40 euros per person per day. When tipping a taxi driver, simply round up the fare.

Part 7

Part 7 of 9:

Tipping in Asia and the Pacific

1
Offer a tip in Australia and New Zealand. When offering a tip in either country, be discreet and note that your tip may be refused.
- Tip 10% to 15% to your waiter at a restaurant.
- Offer $1 per bag to the porter at your hotel, $1 to $5 per day to the housekeeper, and $10 to $20 per favor to the concierge.
- Cab drivers get 10% of the fare. A private guide receives $50 per person per day, but a bus-tour guide gets $5 to $10. A private driver gets a $20 per day tip.
- If you get a spa or beauty treatment, tip 10% to 15%.
2
Tip sparingly in China. Formally, tipping is not expected or accepted at hotels and other service businesses, with only a few exceptions.
- Luggage porters should get 10 yuan per bag.
- Offer 10 to 30 yuan per massage at a massage house.
3
Skip the tip in Japan.^{[4]
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Research source} For the most part, you will not need to leave any tip for any service provided in Japan. In fact, oftentimes, a tip will even be refused.
- If you see a tip jar located in a restaurant or western-owned business, however, you can leave a tip, but the amount is up to your discretion.
4
Learn about tipping in South Korea. As with Japan, tipping is not a common practice in South Korea. You can offer a tip for exceptional service, but it is not expected.
- Guides still get $10 per person per day, however, and drivers get about half that amount.
- Hotel porters can be tipped $1 per bag.
5
Give an appropriate tip in India.^{[5]
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Research source} A gratuity is expected for your server at a restaurant, but otherwise, most tips are very much appreciated but not necessarily expected.
- Offer a 10% to 15% tip at a restaurant.
- If you want to tip your driver, give 100 to 200 rupees.
- For great service provided by a hotel concierge, porter, or housekeeper, offer an extra 268 to 535 rupees.

Part 8

Part 8 of 9:

Tipping in the Middle East

1
Know how to tip in Egypt. You'll need to offer a different tip depending on the service provided.
- Add 5% to 10% extra onto the tip already included in the bill at a restaurant.
- At a hotel, tip the housekeeper $1 per day and the porter $1 per bag. Tip the concierge $10 to $20 per service.
- Tip cab drivers 10% to 15% and guides $20 per day.
2
Learn how to tip in Israel. The tip amount will vary depending on where and who you're tipping.
- At restaurants, add a shekel per customer to the tip already included in the bill.
- At a hotel, give a shekel or two when asking for a small favor. Porters get six shekels per bag, and housekeepers get three to six shekels per day.
- Taxi drivers should get 10% to 15% and tour guides should receive 90 to 120 shekels per person per day. Tour guides who also act as drivers get 120 to 150 shekels.
3
Tip correctly in Saudi Arabia. As with most countries, tip amount varies depending on the service provided.
- Tips are not included in the bill at restaurants here, so you should tip 10% to 15% of your bill.
- At hotels, offer the concierge $20 to $25 when you first arrive. Porters receive $1 to $2 per bag, and housekeepers receive $2 per day.
- Guides should get a tip of $10 per person per day for individual tours and small groups, or $7 per person per day for large groups. Drivers should get $5 per person per day, and a driver's assistant should get $2 per person per day.

Part 9

Part 9 of 9:

Tipping in Africa

1
Know how to tip in Morocco. Be as subtle as possible when tipping in Morocco, and know the correct amount you should tip based on the service.
- The tip might be included in your bill at a restaurant, but if not, tip %10 of the bill.
- Slip the concierge at your hotel $10 when you arrive to guarantee good service. The porter gets $2 per bag, and the housekeeper gets $5 per night.
- Tip a cab driver by rounding up to the next 10-dirham note when paying your bill. Private drivers and guides get $15 per day.
2
Learn about tipping in South Africa. In addition to the usual services, you will also need to watch out for car guards and airport porters, since these people rely on tips and do not get salaries.
- Pay car guards 15 to 20 rand when they return and airport porters 20 to 30 rand.
- Tip 10% to 15% to the waiter at a restaurant.
- At a hotel, offer the concierge $3 to $5. The porter receives $1 per bag, and the housekeeper receives $1 per night.
- Taxi drivers and private drivers both receive 10% of the fare. Tour guides should get $10 per person per day.