Complete Tipping Guide
Your comprehensive guide to tipping etiquette in America. Learn how much to tip for every service, from restaurants and delivery to hotels and salons.
⚡Quick Tipping Reference
🍽️ Restaurants & Dining
Restaurant tipping is the most common form of gratuity in the United States
Full-Service Restaurants (Sit-Down Dining)
| Service Quality | Tip Percentage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Poor service | 10-12% | Consider speaking with management first |
| Adequate service | 15% | Standard minimum tip |
| Good service | 18% | Most common tip amount |
| Great service | 20% | Recommended for attentive service |
| Exceptional service | 25%+ | For truly outstanding experiences |
💡 Pro Tip: Always calculate your tip based on the pre-tax subtotal, not the total with tax included. This is the industry standard and what servers expect.
Fast Casual & Counter Service
Counter Service (Chipotle, Panera)
$1-2 or 10-15%
Tipping is optional but appreciated, especially for custom orders or exceptional service
Food Courts & Fast Food
Not expected
Tipping is not customary, but you can use the tip jar if you received exceptional service
Buffet Restaurants
10-15% of the bill
Even though you serve yourself, staff still clear plates, refill drinks, and maintain the buffet. Tip 10% for basic service, 15% if they're particularly attentive.
Fine Dining
20-25% or more
Fine dining typically warrants higher tips due to the elevated service level, expertise, and attention to detail.
🍺 Bars & Coffee Shops
Tipping guidelines for casual beverage service
Bars & Pubs
Coffee Shops & Cafés
💡 Pro Tip: Build a relationship with your regular baristas by tipping consistently. You'll often receive better service, remembrance of your order, and occasionally free drinks.
🚗 Food Delivery Services
Tipping for delivery drivers from restaurants, apps, and grocery services
Standard Delivery Guidelines
| Order Type | Recommended Tip | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Standard order (under $50) | 15-20% | $5 |
| Large order ($50-100) | 20% | $10 |
| Very large order ($100+) | 20%+ | $20 |
| Grocery delivery | 15-20% | $10 |
Factors That Should Increase Your Tip
Bad Weather
Add 5-10% for rain, snow, extreme heat/cold
Difficult Access
Add $2-5 for apartments, offices, or hard-to-find locations
Late Hours
Add 5% for late night orders (after 10 PM)
Long Distance
Add $3-5 for deliveries over 5 miles away
⚠️ Important: Many delivery apps take a portion of delivery fees, so they don't always go to the driver. Your tip is often the driver's primary income. Always tip in the app or in cash—never assume the delivery fee covers the tip.
🏨 Hotels & Accommodations
Tipping guidelines for hotel staff and services
| Service | Recommended Tip | When to Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Bellhop/Porter | $2-5 per bag | When they deliver bags to your room |
| Housekeeping | $2-5 per night | Daily, left on pillow or desk with note |
| Concierge | $5-20 | Based on complexity of request |
| Valet Parking | $2-5 | When car is returned to you |
| Room Service | 15-20% | Check if gratuity already included |
| Doorman (hailing cab) | $1-2 | When they secure transportation |
| Shuttle Driver | $1-2 per person | At the end of the ride |
💡 Pro Tips for Hotel Tipping:
- Tip housekeeping daily (staff changes daily) rather than at checkout
- Leave tips in envelopes with "Housekeeping" written on them
- Tip the concierge more generously for difficult reservations or special arrangements
- Check your bill—sometimes gratuity is automatically added to room service
- Luxury hotels typically warrant tips on the higher end of ranges
💇 Salons & Spas
Personal care service tipping guidelines
Standard Personal Care Services
Hair Services
Nail Services
Spa Services
Other Services
💡 Pro Tips for Salon & Spa Tipping:
- If multiple people work on you, tip each person individually
- For salon owners, tipping is optional, but bringing a small gift is thoughtful
- Check if gratuity is automatically added to spa packages
- Holiday season: Consider adding an extra week's service cost as a bonus
- Cash tips are preferred as they're received immediately
🚕 Transportation Services
Tipping for taxis, rideshares, and other transportation
Taxis & Rideshares
Other Transportation
⚠️ Note: Many rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft allow you to tip through the app after your ride. Drivers can see that you tipped but not the exact amount until later. Cash tips are always appreciated and received immediately.
🛠️ Other Services
Tipping guidelines for various other service providers
Movers
$20-50 per mover for local moves, or 5-10% of total cost for long-distance moves
Furniture Delivery
$5-20 per person depending on difficulty and whether they assemble furniture
Pet Groomer
15-20% of service cost, more for difficult pets or extra services
Tour Guides
$5-20 per person depending on tour length and quality of experience
Appliance Repair
Not expected but $10-20 appreciated for exceptional service
House Cleaners
$10-20 per visit or one week's pay during holidays
Florists
$2-5 for delivery, $5-10 for complex arrangements
Grocery Bagger
$1-2 if they help carry groceries to your car
Musicians/DJs
15-20% of their fee, or $50-100 per performer at events
⭐ Special Situations
How to handle unique tipping scenarios
🍽️ Automatic Gratuity
Many restaurants add automatic gratuity (usually 18-20%) for parties of 6 or more.
- Always check your bill before adding a tip
- Look for "gratuity," "service charge," or "auto-grat"
- You can add more for exceptional service
- Service charges may not all go to servers
😞 Poor Service
What to do when service doesn't meet expectations:
- First, determine if it was the server's fault
- Kitchen issues aren't the server's responsibility
- Speak with a manager before reducing tip
- 10-12% is acceptable for genuinely poor service
- Never completely stiff—servers rely on tips
🎁 Gift Cards & Coupons
When using discounts or promotional offers:
- Always tip on the pre-discount amount
- Servers provide the same service regardless
- If bill was $100, discounted to $50, tip on $100
- This applies to gift cards, Groupons, and promos
🎄 Holiday Tipping
Year-end tipping for regular service providers:
- Mail carrier: $20 (check local regulations)
- Housekeeper: One week's pay
- Nanny/Babysitter: One week to one month's pay
- Personal Trainer: Cost of one session
- Hair Stylist: Cost of one visit
👥 Splitting the Bill
When dividing a bill among friends:
- Calculate tip on total bill, then split
- Avoid calculating tip on individual portions
- Use a split bill calculator
- One person should collect and leave the tip
- Ensure tip adds up to at least 18-20%
💰 Cash vs. Card Tips
Understanding the difference:
- Cash tips are received immediately
- Card tips may take days to process
- Some establishments pool and split tips
- Cash ensures tip goes directly to server
- Both methods are acceptable
🌍 International Tipping Note
Tipping customs vary dramatically by country
This guide focuses on United States tipping customs, where tipping is an essential part of the service industry and workers often rely on tips as their primary income.
🌎 Traveling Abroad?
Tipping practices differ significantly around the world:
- Europe: Service charge often included; small tips or rounding up common
- Japan: Tipping can be seen as insulting; not practiced
- Australia/New Zealand: Not expected; servers earn full wages
- Middle East: 10-15% if not included; varies by country
- Latin America: 10-15% standard, sometimes included
For detailed international tipping guidance, see our Tipping by Country Guide.
🧮 Free Tip Calculator
Calculate tips instantly for any service or bill amount
Tip Calculator
Enter your bill details below to calculate tips and split costs
Scan Receipt
Upload a photo of your receipt to automatically extract the bill amount
Privacy First: All processing happens on your device. Your receipt images are never uploaded to our servers.
Drag & drop a receipt image
or click to browse files
Tips for better results:
- • Ensure good lighting and avoid shadows
- • Place receipt on a flat, contrasting surface
- • Make sure all text is visible and in focus
- • Align the receipt straight with the camera
Enter the total bill amount including tax
Enter tax amount to tip on pre-tax total (recommended)
Tip Calculation
Tip Percentage: 18%
Split Between People
💡 Final Tipping Wisdom
Service workers often earn below minimum wage and depend on tips. A few extra dollars can make a meaningful difference in someone's day.
Cash tips are received immediately and don't go through payment processing. They're the most direct way to show appreciation.
If you frequent a business, tip consistently and generously. You'll often receive better service and build positive relationships.
Beyond percentages, tipping is about acknowledging someone's service. A kind word combined with a fair tip goes a long way.
📚 Related Resources
Free Tip Calculator
Calculate tips instantly with our fast calculator
How to Calculate Tips
Step-by-step guide with mental math tricks
Tipping FAQ
Answers to 20+ common tipping questions
International Tipping Guide
Tipping customs around the world
Restaurant Calculator
Specialized calculator for dining
Calculator with Tax
Calculate tips on pre-tax amounts