How Much to Tip
The definitive guide to tipping in every situation - restaurants, delivery, hotels, personal care, and worldwide.
Quick Answer
The standard tip in the United States is 15–20% of the pre-tax bill for restaurant service, $3–5 minimum for food delivery, and 15–20% for personal services like haircuts and massages. For exceptional service, 25% or more is appropriate.
Tipping Guide by Service
Dining
Delivery & Transport
Personal Care
Hotel
Tipping Around the World
Expected - servers earn below min wage
Common in restaurants, optional elsewhere
Similar to the US - widely expected
Rare - min wage is high, tips optional
Considered rude - do not tip
Round up to nearest euro, say 'stimmt so'
Service compris often included; extra is kind
Often included as taxa de serviço on the bill
Why Do We Tip?
Tipping originated in 16th-century England, where guests would give extra coins to servants to ensure "speedy service." The practice spread to the US in the 1800s and became deeply embedded in the service industry as restaurants began paying servers below the standard minimum wage - a legal practice in the US where employers can pay as little as $2.13/hour with the expectation that tips bring total earnings to minimum wage.
Today, tipping is a cornerstone of the service economy in the United States and Canada. Other countries have largely avoided tip culture by paying service workers fair wages directly - which is why tipping expectations vary so dramatically around the world.
How to Calculate a Tip: The Formula
The tip formula is simple:
Tip Amount = Bill × (Tip Percentage ÷ 100)
Example: $75 × (20 ÷ 100) = $15 tip → $90 total
Use our tip calculator to do this automatically for any bill amount, tip percentage, and number of people.
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Everything about tipping etiquette worldwide.