Who should I tip? How much should I tip waiters, waitresses, bartenders and taxi drivers? Our guide to tipping in America will tell you everything you need to know.
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Tipping in America can seem complicated, especially if you're visiting from a place where tipping is not the norm. Here's how to keep your waiters, waitresses, bartenders and cab drivers happy, while also fighting wage inequality in the USA.
How much should you tip?
Taxi drivers
Taxi drivers should get tipped 15% of the fare, but a minimum tip is US $2.
Ridesharing services such as Lyft and Uber offer an in-app method for tipping. It's recommended to tip 15–20% for a great service, 10–15% for good service, and 10% for mediocre service. Don't forget, your Uber or Lyft driver will rate you, too.
Bartenders
Tip about US $1 per drink – even during happy hour. If your bartender is making expensive cocktails, pay up with a larger tip. If you're unsure, aim to tip 15% of the bill.
Valet
When you retrieve your car from the valet, US $2 is a standard tip. Some people also tip when dropping the car off. If your valet driver has sprinted three blocks to get your car in a timely fashion, US $5 is a nice gesture.
Bellhop/Concierge
Tip concierge US $1 per bag (US $2 minimum). When you're assisted by a skycap or porter, US $1 per bag is also advised, or US $2 per bag if your luggage is heavier.
Cafe or restaurant
Tip cafe or restaurant staff 20% for good service, 25% for excellent service, and 15-18% for below average service.
Many restaurants and cafes will recommend how much to tip at the bottom of your receipt, which removes a lot of confusion for customers. Many restaurants will include a gratuity on the bill for groups of eight or more; look over your check before paying to avoid leaving two tips.
The only time it's acceptable to not tip your waiter or waitress is if you’ve had a truly awful experience, and you’re confident it’s the wait staff’s fault. Don't take a chef's inadequacies out on your wait staff. Always communicate what the problem was before you leave; you might get a free dessert or a discount for your trouble.
For cafes or takeaway restaurants that do not offer table service, you are not typically obligated to leave a tip, thought it's always appreciated. However, you should tip around 15-20% for delivery. Tips aren't required at fast-food restaurants.
No tip is required for a barista, but dropping any loose change into the tip jar is always a nice gesture.
Hotel stays
Leave US $2–$5 a day for housekeeping staff, depending on the condition you’ve left your room. Leave a tip daily, as the same person may not be cleaning your room each day.
For room service, tip US $5 minimum, but check to make sure the tip hasn't been included on the bill.
The tipping economy extends beyond cabs, restaurants and hotels. In casinos – win or lose – tip your dealer US $5 per hour at minimum, or 10% of your buy-in. Use chips only, never cash. Tip your cocktail waitress US $1 each for free drinks (with either chips or cash).
For spa services, tip 15-20%. Tip your hairdresser or manicurist 20%. Coat checkers should get US $1 per garment.
General tipping advice
Though electronic tipping methods are increasingly common, cash tips are always appreciated. Hair or nail salons may require you tip your hairdresser or manicurist separately, rather than as part of the bill for service, so be prepared with cash, or ask if the worker would like to be paid via Venmo or a similar payment system.
If you're paying for a two-for-one special or are using a discount coupon, your tip should still be based on the full price.
Many Americans in the service industry work for low hourly wages and feed their families on the tips they earn, so failing to tip is a serious, and personal, affront. It can get ugly when confronted by an angry worker who, quite rightly, believes you’ve ripped them off.
Always tip discreetly; don’t make a big deal out of it. Don’t feel obligated to tip if the service has been unacceptable. Perhaps provide the person with polite feedback to let them know why you aren't tipping, and maybe they'll take your advice on board for future customers. But it's better speak to the manager about poor service, rather than leaving no tip at all.
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16 Comments
I do not tip. So im expected to pay more because someones employer is cheap and dont pay their people well???? Its not my problem. Take it up with your boss or get a new job. Im sick of the whole usa wanting tips....ive seen tip jars at gas stations to fast food. Im a mechanic and i dont expect tips. So you make 2.13 an hour as waitress....quit and go find better work. Stand up and get the laws changed...but dont expect me to pay on top of my already too expensive bill. I have a family to feed as well
I think the tipping culture has gotten way out of control. A TIP was supposed to be given when superior service was received. I used to buss tables, and the waitresses (who DID get tips) would often ask me "what 'EXTRA' did you do for me today?" to determine whether or not they should 'share' their tips with me. I asked them what 'extra' they did to get tips, and they were incensed I saw a double standard. They felt they should get tipped as PART of their job. It was expected; but when it was supposed to trickle down, suddenly their were strings attached to the $. Just saying, I've been a US citizen my whole life, and I've worked in jobs that had an 'expectation' of a tip, and back in the 80's the Fed started taxing employees in standard 'tip earning' jobs for a certain anticipated 'base' that they were assumed to be receiving. So if you didn't get tips that met that minimum limit, the Fed taxed you for money you didn't receive.
Nonetheless, a TIP should be recognition of quality service. If it met your expectations, it's 'customary', but always shouldn't be expected. It is a GRATUITY..as in a show of GRATITUDE for the quality service received. It should not be expected as like no other 'gift' should be expected. The fact that the Fed taxes it is something to take up with your Congressman...not me. If your efforts are superior, I should give a larger tip. If your efforts were sub-par, I would leave either a tiny or no tip. If you were rude or need a 'lesson' in how to do your job, I leave $0.02. This means that no, I didn't 'stiff' you; I specifically left you 2 cents to say..."learn to do your job".
Short version: tip if you feel you should. If someone did a lot for you and you don't want to acknowledge that, you're a jerk. If someone wants to fight you for not tipping, they are being a jerk, and there is no law requiring you tip, but there are laws against fighting.
A few additions from a frequent traveler within the US:
AT CURBSIDE CHECK-IN at US airports, many carriers will charge you per-piece for your checked luggage. You are still expected to give about $1 per bag as a tip to the porter; if they offer you special service, you would tip more (we sometimes travel with a pet and if they take all our bags and escort us to the ticket counter and the front of the line (!), we will tip generously as an appreciation for the fact that we have just saved 20 minutes!
(One time flying out of Boston, we had NO cash on us, but had two center-court tickets to the Boston Celtics (basketball) game -- we'd planned to go but had to fly instead and were stuck with the tickets -- so we offered them to the porter instead of the cash we didn't have on hand -- as you might imagine -- he was absolutely thrilled. We aren't rich, but being able to do that made us feel rich!!)
IF YOU STAY AT A HOTEL MORE THAN ONE NIGHT, you mustn't assume the same person will clean your room each day. I usually leave a tip for housekeeping each morning before I head out. It doesn't change the total amount, but it ensures that the person cleaning my room gets a tip…and sometimes we find nice little extras when we come back.
AT THE BAR here's one from my friend Lynn: she'd put down a $20 with the first round and (quel surprise) always got attentive service and nice extras that other patrons didn't. If you are just having one beer with your buddy, a $20 is excessive but if you're planning to perch for awhile, consider it.
YOU DON'T NEED TO TIP AS MUCH at Starbucks and the like (that is, where there is no table service. (Personally, I don't always tip when all someone does is pour me hot water and hand me a teabag - but it's your call). And I do not tip if I'm picking up a takeout order (even though the receipt offers a line to add a tip.)
PLEASE TIP on the full cost of the meal. If you have one of those wonderful gift certificates that allow you to pay $30 for a $120 meal, remember that the service is still for a $120 meal, and the tip should reflect that.
fyi - TIP came from the acronym 'to insure promptness' -- but it's evolved into more of an expectation than a true form of appreciation. and if you truly think the service was abominable, I respectfully disagree with the blogger that you should tip them the full amount anyway, though I *do* agree you should try to resolve whatever the problem is before the meal is over. Sometimes the problem is in the kitchen or elsewhere and the server is not responsible…if we have determined it's the server (horrible attitude is about the only crime in our book -- if someone is new, nervous, or whatever but clearly doing their best we are okay with some level of ineptitude…), we'll leave just 10%.
One last note: if you are in San Francisco, you may find a 2% (give or take) surcharge on your restaurant bill for health care for the employees. It's a city ordinance that passed some time ago.
As my Mom likes to say, "Safe travels and happy landings!"
I know this is late in coming...but as an American, and a former waitress I can tell you most assuredly that if your services is bad at a restaurant, then you most definitely should NOT tip 15%. Talk to management about the bad service - yes. Hopefully you bill will be reduced. Talk to the server about the bad service if you fell comfortable. If you can see that the service is bad because the server/waiter is overloaded with too many tables, take pity on them and don't let it affect the tip. But if the service was bad because the server was lousy or rude or obviously taking a smoke break, then feel free to reduce or eliminate the tip! But yes, on the flip side...if you get excellent service...feel free to increase the tip.
And to the cheapskate that doesn't tip. If you don't tip because the food at the restaurant already costs too much, then you shouldn't be eating at the restaurant. Stay home and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and leave the tables at the restaurant open to people who will tip and let the server earn a living since yes, in the USA, most states allow servers to be paid less than $3 per hour.
Sorry, no. The tipping culture has run amuck and I will not be blackmailed with such "well intentioned" threats.
If your employer is not paying you enough, then quit, refuse to work, or form a union and take action. If everybody does this and maintains unity, you can rest assured the economics will change these circumstances.
And if it comes to physical violence, a service provider can be assured that I will press charges for assault and file suit for damages. That's my tip for the day!
I hate the concept of tipping to make up for the poor wages in the USA and Canada. My son works in Canada, and has worked in the service industry where tipping is really there to make up for the low wages. He has also worked in department stores where there is no tipping, but still low wages - how does that work?
I agree that it is time for US and Canadian employees to stand up for themselves and get the laws changed! We do not encourage tipping in Australia but then our wages are very much better than US and Canada. If that is correct that the US Federal Gov does tax tips received, that is totally unacceptable! What I have always found, particularly in the US, is that the "common" population just take what is handed out to them. USA has many rich and powerful people there but it seems that their aim is to keep the general population down at heel, and US economy shows it! Love visiting USA, but still call Australia home, and loving it!
I do tip but resent it most of the time. I am able to carry my own bags and don't appreciate overzealous busboys forcing themselves on me. Taxi drivers? Really? The cars are usually sub standard, they drive overly aggressive and I seldom feel good about the experience. Restaurants is one area where service can make a difference. But I seldom get proper service. I wait for my initial drink. My glass is often empty. And I am always waiting for the bill - never make someone wait to pay. I think tipping has gone too far. What's next, tipping traffic lights for turning green.
I'm from Canada and I hate this tipping mentality. I hate to tip, because tips are suppose to be at your own discretion, when you received an extraordinary service, but that's all.
So I still tip at the restaurant (real restaurants, not Starbucks or similar), but that's it.
There is a huge misconception between ''service'' and ''tip''. It is not the same!
I simply never think about tipping..its not aorta of my psyche. When I see all the places you are supposed to tip in the USA i feel bad that I had no idea that this is what is expected. The converse is true..in my country noone would tip daily in a hotel room, or a Starbucks employee or even a taxi driver. I might say keep,the change only because its a hassle but it means having to keep cash on you all the time, when I use cards for everything. Actually I think i use cards for taxis now too. What about bus drivers? Do you tip them?
Honestly...America needs to get over itself and pay its employees the wages they obviously earn. After all the owner gets their money. Why cant the cost be reflected in paying proper staff wages. Weird...
Hahaha....not aorta (spellcheck gone mad)...part of my psyche
Ive noticed a big move away from Tipping culture in the USA in recent years. The push for a national minimum wage has changed the state of play. Don't feel obliged to tip for poor service. If you are happy upto 10% is more than adequate.
However if you are unhappy with Service. Do not Tip and do not feel guilty.
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As a former waitress, it amazes me that patrons often overlook the fact that if employers paid more than it would be reflected in the price of your meal. You would be paying that money regardless. You should treat tipping more as an opportunity to pay for the service you received based on its quality instead of being charged a flat rate for service that would more than likely be sub par if employers were in charge of providing the wage. As a server, I expected to be tipped but at the same time I expected that tip to reflect the service that I provided which is why I made it my goal to go above and beyond the customers expectations. If you didn’t eat part of your meal, I didn’t expect you to complain to me about it, my goal was to ask you if there was something wrong with that item before you even had a chance to mention it and then fix the issue if there was one by getting you something else or making sure you weren’t charged for something you didn’t enjoy. Sometimes that meant challenging the manager about the issue in order to have the item removed from a check, but In my mind that was my job. The customer paid my wages, not the restaurant in my mind and so the customer is who I was working for. Serving while in college is ultimately what I believe gave me a great work ethic. I could go to work and be paid according to how I worked. I thoroughly enjoyed working my butt off and knowing that I would see that reflected in my pay. So yes If your service is poor then you shouldn’t feel obligated to tip well but if you got great service and then don’t tip and blame it on the servers career choice then that’s just an excuse to be cheap by not paying for services you received. You knew the expectation when you went to that establishment and if you truly disagree with that ideology then you boycott the establishment and the industry not the person trying to make a living and putting in the work.
Well said Daphne! I have never been a waitress/server, but I have always respected those positions and leave a tip usually based on the quality of service, attentiveness of our server, wait time and quality of food (which I know the server doesn’t have control over quality, except when it’s brought to us cold!).
I really don’t think consumers realize that if employers paid a higher minimum wage, it WOULD be passed back to them, with raising the prices on the menu!
I have the same problem in my business. I own a state licensed childcare center, licensed for 87 children! I would love to pay all of my employees more per hour than what they’re making…but to do so, I would also have to raise all of the childcare rates that the parent’s pay every week‼️ Although that would be great, one of the reasons we have a waiting list is because we have such a lower competitive rate, and we are also a 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rated program❗️Costs are always passed on, no matter what profession ❗️
Hi I'm from England and am thinking on a trip to the states next year.
Tipping in the UK is usually for good service, this seems a bit of a mine field to be fair.
Just hope it doesn't spoil our trip!!!