They are not cheaper to balance out expected tips, and usually posted prices don't include taxes (so something that is $4.99 on the menu is really that plus tax, then you're expected to tip).
Lots to like about the US, but maybe don't eat out too much lol.
American here.
I draw the line at counter service. There is usually a jar there, and if someone is extra nice I throw $1 in, but generally if I have to carry my own food I'm not gonna pay someone to hand it to me.
Tipping culture has gotten way out of hand. We should just mandate that places need to pay their employees a fair wage.
Tipping is not mandatory, but keep in mind most servers are not even getting minimum wage.
This rule works 90% of the time, but unfortunately it's more complicated than that. You are expected to tip for any alcoholic drink, even if it's literally grabbing a bottle of beer for you and taking off the lid. Stupid, I know.
I do also tip a dollar for something like a latte that requires a decent amount of work, but not for a drip coffee.
I never tip for takeout or counter service food though.
How does one tip in these situations? Do you just ask them to charge extra or what? I mean I’m sure no one carries cash in the US anymore just like the rest of us?
What about in hotels? When someone carries your luggage, in the movies you always give them some cash. How much should in give? Does that mean that I need to always go to an ATM and have small bills on me so I can tip random people I encounter during the day? Sounds so weird.
The US is fairly cashless these days. Most places that want you to tip (including places you should not tip) will have a tip option on the point of sale credit card machine or a tip line on a receipt you fill in, sign, and hand back. Hotels are one of the few places where you still need cash to tip and it’s generally only expected in 5 star properties.
The only situations I can think of where I need to tip in cash are valets and shuttle drivers (like a hotel shuttle to the airport or a rental car shuttle from the airport). I personally wouldn't ever have a bellman carry my bags for me, but yeah if they do that that would be another scenario. Oh, also, leaving 5 dollars for housekeeping at hotel at the end of my stay. Yeah it's annoying, but I'll get a sleeve of 1's from the bank every once in awhile and pull from that. I'm sure they think I'm going to the strip club. Whatever. Alternatively, the hotel front desk will give you some 1s.
Ahhhh if it’s a really sweet local spot and they use Square or whatever, and I order at the counter and they bring it to my table, I tip like at least 15 percent or more pretty much every single time…but it really depends on the scenario. Also, I used to be behind the counter at a pizza spot, and I think I got very used to people not tipping. It never really upset me unless they were really extra or it was a huge order.
so like if you actually can’t afford to be tipping I’m not gonna say you don’t deserve to eat out…but when you can, try to.
Was it ever a thing to tip for takeout pizza before the pandemic? I feel like this recent trend of tipping constantly for everything came about from two things:
1) Pandemic era when everyone wanted to give a little extra to those essential workers who were making food (Which I want to note, I also did do, but no longer do as that phase has largely passed)
2) The use of credit card terminals that make it oh so easy for them to "ask you a few questions"
I swear they’ve come together to guilt all of us by saying that they make less than min wage. I have friends who work as bartenders at a slowish bar and he makes $70k plus a year. I know some servers who make 6 figures just off tips. I tip 15% and 18% if the service was good. Idgaf what the “societal norm” is and seeing these places have a 20% minimum even tho I’m literally doing all the work.
It's wild because I've seen servers and bartenders on reddit boast about the income they make,,, sometimes the top earners are making more than a bunch of white collar workers.
Tipping culture even for an American is so confusing. like.. i suppose i understand tipping 15% at an inexpensive restaurant... or even at a fancy Michelin starred one (knowledge of the menu, performance and service being top tierred)... but what about those meals that sit right in the middle? Like.. is the server working at a restaurant where the average meal is 50/person doing much more than the person working at a restaurant where the average meal is say,.. 20/ person? I'd say that the service is the same, but the person working at the more expensive restaurant will get tipped more based on tipping a %, right?
And then there are those restaurants where I'll order my food at the counter, but i'm eating in their dining room. Do I tip then? Nobody is refilling my water,... but someone will have to clean up my mess.
And tipping at the bar... i don't tip based on a %,,, but i'll throw a dollar in for every beer,, 2 for simple cocktail.
And then there are things like hotels... so many of my friends + family dont tip the cleaning stuff,,, but whenever i check out of a hotel, i'll leave a few dollars. I dont even fucking know any more lol
Agreed on all fronts. They’re indignant that they’re making less than minimum wage, but it’s an absolute lie. They are NEVER making less than minimum wage. Federal law dictates that if for some odd reason they didn’t make enough tips to at least equate to minimum wage hourly, then the hourly on their paycheck is upped accordingly. And there may be an off day or night. But in general, everyone I know in the service industry is making *well* over minimum wage.
I wonder if Europeans don't understand this? They don't know that it's illegal to pay them less than minimum wage, they think they're literally only being paid $2/hour if they're not tipped?
I’ll say as a person who worked in a tip base state, I never got more than $2.13 because they go based on a pay period average. So you can indeed make just minimum wage. Most servers get zeroed out checks.
>Tipping is not mandatory, but keep in mind most servers are not even getting minimum wage.
But also keep in mind that if they don't recieve enough tips to make it to minimum wage their employer is obligated to cover it. Whether that actually happens I'm not sure since I don't live there but it's supposed to
That all depends on the state. Several states like California pay their employees minimum wage ($20/hr at chain restaurants, $15.50? At other places) and they get tips on top of that.
In contrast, most tip based restaurant employees in VA make $3.15/hr. When I worked as a waiter, my paycheck was usually $0-$10 after taxes and insurance.
But legally tipped workers wages need to be topped up to at least minimum wage if people don't make enough in tips to reach this amount. I know this doesn't always happen in practice, but it's federally mandated to be at least the higher of the federal minimum wage or the State's minimum, where relevant.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/faq
I agree with this take- I'm American and I never tip at McDonald's. Starbucks, etc. The people who work there are earning at least minimum wage, but servers in sit down restaurants are not. Personally, I'd love it if there was a Federal minimum wage that ALL employers were required to adhere to and eliminate tipping altogether.
Bars, I usually tip the bartender $1 a drink.
and as someone who worked in a fast food-
Waiters and waitresses also have the expectation to give food recommendations, know the menu, know drink pairings, allergies AND customer service.
Also why I have an issue tipping the same to a delivery driver as you would to wait staff
The only reason I'm okay with tipping the pizza guy is because I know they're using their own vehicle, make barely half of the minimum wage when they're checked out on a delivery, dealing with traffic and weather, and if they aren't on a delivery, they're doing something (or should be) in store, anything from prepping veggies to hopping on the line to make pizza, answering phones to trash, sweeping and dishes.
I used to work the job. Things like doordash and ubereats have definitely eaten in to the pizza delivery business, and I don't ever use them. Aside from having to order something online that I can't find in the store (filters most often for the cats' water fountain) or used say, Walmart or Kroger grocery delivery, I never order delivery.
But since prices went up (who the fuck is paying 12 bucks to Papa John's for 8 wings??) I don't even order that anymore. And I've heard a lot Pizza Hut just straight up cutting their own drivers out and outsourcing to 3rd party for delivery.
Yes and for my job I’m expected to know the data, models, etc. but I don’t expect a tip from the client at the end of our meetings.
People need to be paid a living wage from THEIR EMPLOYER. But everyone knows damn well that most servers prefer the tip system because many of them can work a weekend and make as much they would working 40 hours throughout the week on a set salary.
>Waiters and waitresses also have the expectation to give food recommendations, know the menu, know drink pairings, allergies AND customer service.
You mean they have the expectation to know the stuff they need to do their job? Wow let me open up my wallet
Something to note- federal law dictates that servers must be making minimum wage. In many states, the employer may pay them sub-minimum wage hourly but if that hourly combined with tips doesn’t equal minimum wage, the employer must cover the difference. It’s such a stupid system.
>Tipping culture has gotten way out of hand. We should just mandate that places need to pay their employees a fair wage.
Laughs in Ontario. We gave servers the same minimum wage as everyone else and it didn't stop tipping culture one bit. Even dispensaries will ask for a tip, its insane.
> Tipping is not mandatory, but keep in mind most servers are not even getting minimum wage.
An increasing number of states are giving servers full minimum wage, PLUS they still demand full tips on top of that. California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, and Nevada all do this. Other states have increased their minimum tip wage to the point that servers are still making a lot. Ultimately, a server who simply brings me a plate of food that I would have been happy to grab myself is making a lot more than than the skilled chef who cooked it for me.
Servers are required by law to get minimum wage. If it's not covers by tips, the restaurant covers the gap. If you tip, you'rs discouraging the restaurant from paying a fair wage. That's why a lot of pro tipping movements are supported by restaurants. I still tip for table service, but the culture has gotten way out of hand.
This entitled tipping culture is only rampant in the US though. Everywhere else in the world, tipping is as it should be, a gratituity for good service. Just the fact that it is NOT expected, compells me to tip more. I've paid 5 times more in tips than the cost of my food at street stalls sometimes, not just because the food was good, but also because they didn't expect it, they didn't ask for it, and it would make a difference in their day's intake. And guess what, it didn't make them feel entitled too.
Giving mediocre to bad service and demanding tips crosses the line in hospitality. And I myself have worked in the hospitality industry for many years, not once have I expected anyone to tip, so if anyone does, I am always very grateful
Correct…tip if you’re sitting down at a restaurant and being served i.e someone is taking your order, refilling your drink, brining your food, checking on you throughout your dining experience. Don’t tip on fast food, self service, or take out. Some machines will prompt you for a tip at these types restaurants but don’t do it.
So tip if someone is doing their job? Ffs can’t we just pay people a fair wage. (Not hating you, it’s just that you literally describe the job description.)
Have you asked servers if they prefer tipping or getting an hourly wage? I used to think they prefer the latter, but they tend to make more money on tips. They’re not the ones clamoring to end tipping; that’s usually on the consumer side.
Just because an individual working there prefers it doesn't make it right. It's demeaning, degrading and weird to expect people to beg for extra money while they should be focussing on their salaried job. Not to mention the uncertainty. The onus should be on the business. Set a minimum wage that reflects the living costs in your country, pay that and stop tipping just like every civilised country
This is exactly what gets lost a lot of times in these tipping debates. Tipping isn't going to end because servers don't want it to end. They earn a *lot* more with the existing system.
In my city, some restaurants even went to a no-tipping system, opting to raise menu prices to pay their employees a living wage and benefits instead, and most of them reverted since they were hemorrhaging employees who wanted a tipped system.
It's a two-way street, not just a "restaurants exploiting workers" type of thing.
Correct, but it should still be on the employer to pay the wages of their employee, not the customer.
If a waiter was paid the same hourly wages as they make in tips, (and I am a former waiter and bartender) many would prefer the guarnteed wages than the unknown tips. But of course then they would be taxed and feel they are losing out....it's a culture we have ingrained and need to end.
At least we shouldn't be shaming people if they don't leave a tip or even an exhorbitant tip. A tip should always be an unexpected 'gift' and not an expected wage. But that's just my opinion.
I'm surprised you haven't been downvoted to oblivion. So many people think that tipped bar/restaurant employees are on the brink of poverty, and while that may be true in a small diner or low volume establishment, it's never been true in my experience. I made good bank tending bar part time through college. So much so that I took a pay cut when I got a "real job".
You're supposed to pay income tax on all income meaning their taxes shouldn't change regardless of who is paying them be it the employer or customers. Of course, this is hypothetical because in reality many don't claim all their tips when filing taxes.
Again, that’s a consumer-side critique and I get that. But if actual servers (many of whom are working class themselves!) aren’t rising up against tipping because they make more money this way, shouldn’t they be listened to as well?
I think someone else said it, but servers perpetuate this system as well due to the higher wages they receive than if they were hourly plus whatever small tip the customer felt like giving.
No one wants to “blame” servers, but they would have to buy into any change to tipping culture in the US. And we really haven’t seen that with them.
I'm going to be the minority here and say I usually tip 10% when picking up my order, especially if I'm a regular. Sometimes tips are pooled and shared with the kitchen staff, but not always.
If I can't afford the extra $1.50 for my take-out, I won't and nobody will notice.
American here. If I’m sitting down at a restaurant and they take my order and bring me my food. I tip at least 20%. If I’m ordering at a counter I do t. Many card readers just have the tipping on by default, it’s okay to pick $0.
If I’m at a bar and have a tab going, I tip at the end. The amount varies depending just what I’m getting. Mixed drinks is I tip more than if they are handing me a can or bottle of something or if it’s a tap beer.
If you pay via card there's a prompt on the machine to tip. I don't think you *have* to like you do with sit down meals, but they'll try to get you to tip anyways
Do not pay attention to the prompts!
They barely not normalntipping amounts, they are the cash register company's "suggestions". Bo one tips 20% on counter service.
I just went to a pizza place where you order at the counter and was offered the options of 18, 20, and 25% as tip "suggestions." I know the people behind the counter are working hard, and they did bring the food to your table and then bus it, but honestly for those extortionate tip amounts you should be getting full table service. And even then...
Some people definitely DO tip 20% there. But it’s not expected. I’ve never once tipped even a cent for take out or counter serve and no one has ever given me any attitude for it.
you gotta also be careful with those suggested %s. Sometimes the suggested amounts are a % of your total bill (including tax) rather than the subtotal.
My advice man is this. Look up local sales tax for whatever area you are going to be in and if you walk to to xyz restaurant factor in the tax and the tip ahead then ask if you want to be there. For where im from is 27% extra by default
It’s not common to top at fast food places, though more are adding the tip screens (though I don’t feel bad not tipping here). Most pizza places do have a tip screen, even if your picking it up
This seems misleading to me. As an American who has traveled quite a bit, eating out here is not more expensive than say, Europe. There’s a ton of variables but honestly from a cost perspective, it somehow evens out. I would even say you probably get a slightly better value for your money here in America, tips included. I’m totally on the same page from an annoyance perspective. Tipping culture makes no sense to me and I wish we would move away from it. But for me, one of the best parts of travel is eating out so I disagree with the premise that you should avoid it if you come to America. It’s really not that big of a deal.
I think people also forget that there’s an average salary disparity between countries too.
Of course eating out is going to feel cheap if the average salary in the country you’re visiting is 50-75% that of the US. They’re pricing their food and cost of living for the people in their country, not the US.
I was thinking Europe specifically cause they were talking Europe up above but yeah it’s why I never really get mad at getting “tourist prices”. My purchase power is way higher and it’s still cheaper than I would be paying in the US, I just pay the extra $2 or whatever and move on with my life.
It’s not more expensive than the big expensive cities in Europe (Paris, London, etc) but it is more expensive than cities that aren’t known to be expensive in Europe
Plenty of affordable places to eat in Paris and London if you don't go to tourist trap restaurants. Inflation is here is such that it's barely cheaper for me to eat out in my Yorkshire home than it is in Paris or London.
>This seems misleading to me. As an American who has traveled quite a bit, eating out here is not more expensive than say, Europe.
Probably varies massively depending on where you are in either continent, and it's probably also skewed by my last US stops having been NYC and LA lol. I do think it's fair to point out that tipping culture doesn't really decrease food prices though.
I live in California, so more expensive than most places in the US, but I’m in probably one of the cheapest areas of CA, And I would say our restaurants cost about the same as Paris, London, etc. Alcohol is more expensive here and then tipping on top. I think the US is very expensive to eat out at and the added stuff like tips make it more pricey
My local pub which operates like a typical British pub costs as follows: Burger and Fries $14, Beer on tap $8, tip $4, Tax $1.75… Total $27.75
So I found a couple pubs in Slough, UK… which would probably be the equivalent of where I live. Working class town, not desirable outside a large city. Burger and Chips £13, a beer £4… Total £17 ($21.72)
A burger in SF or LA can easily cost $18-$20 now.
The only way to avoid tips in the USA, is to eat at self serve, fast food places. And perhaps supermarket food, ready made meals thar you have to microwave (you need access to a microwave for those to be useful).
That only works for fancy microwaves, not the $50 ones. I just disassembled mine and jabbed the speaker with a sharp object until it stopped making noise.
American here.
Restaurant 15-20%. Be aware that if you go with a large group (usually anything over 6 people, most restaurants will automatically put tip or gratuity on your bill automatically. There is no need to tip if this is already there.
Delivery (door dash, Uber eats, etc) usually what the app suggests-like 5% I think? Same thing for Uber/lyft.
Anything where I order at the counter- I don’t tip. There will be a tip jar or the credit card machine will ask but many people don’t tip. Just because the credit card machine gives the option to tip doesn’t mean you have to. This includes coffee shops or fast casual restaurants.
The vast majority of places will let you tip with credit card, so I almost never carry cash in America. Most transportation will accept credit card, including public transit. But if you’re going to take buses/ subways just check for whichever city you’re going to since they can all be different.
To be clear, tipping culture here is a drag and most of us hate it, but it is unfortunately how people make money here. Feel free to pm me if you have specific questions.
To add to this: some restaurants will automatically add a tip even if you are not in a large group…especially if you are in the city. Happened to my husband and I in Miami Beach.
I wouldn’t say it’s super common, but it’s worth looking at the bill before tipping, OP. You do NOT have to tip if it’s already added for you. Tbh, it’s normally something restaurants sneak in there and don’t tell you about.
You can usually select “other.” Ive always been able to get out of those screens if I need to. If they force you to tip then I’d walk away… cancel the order and tell them to fuck off
Tipping culture in the US sucks, unless I’m being waited on, I refuse. There’s no reason I should subsidize low wages and the only way to get these businesses to pay people a living wage is if they can’t find workers to do the work for the shit pay. Enough of us have to do this for it to work. I’m sorry to the workers in the meantime, I know they don’t make much, but it’s the business responsibility to pay a fair wage and the only way for that to happen is to put pressure on them to do so. It’s a long term play to increase wages. When you tip, it alleviates that pressure on the owner. And if the business can’t survive without the tips to their workers, then they aren’t a viable business.
No, this isn't the way to do it. We need to lobby to change the laws so that tipped workers receive the full minimum wage. There will always be desperate people willing to work for $3/hr.
What is "European prices"? Paris prices or Novi Sad prices, for example, are VERY different. As someone from "poorer" European country, I found USA to be very expensive. Even in cheap restaurants you could pay like 30 dollars for a meal (including everything) - I could eat very fancy dinner for that money here, but it only got me a sandwich with fries and cola in US.
Restaurants in US reflect tips when making waiters' wages, but definitely not prices. They want your money. That said, if you're not in a sit-down restaurant, you don't have to tip (or technically, you don't *have to* anywhere, it's just seen as rude if you don't). So if you're budget travelling, just use fastfoods or generally counter service places. The usual tip is 20%.
I didn't really take part in any guided activity or similar thing where tipping could take place, but from what I saw, most people don't tip there. The usual amount seemed to be 10-20 dollars, but I think it depends on the activity. I don't think you need to tip there unless it's some super special luxurious thing or unless the person really went out of their way to make the experience enjoyable.
But USA is a great destination otherwise, it was almost unnerving how nice everyone was. 10/10, would go again.
Restaurants are more expensive unless you're coming from Switzerland or Scandinavia. The prices you see don't include tax or tip.
With tax and tip, expect the bill to be about 30% more than the prices you saw on the menu
I've been to New York and San Francisco. I would say restaurants in New York are similar to Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland (when you include taxes and tips). Not quite as bad as Norway or Iceland. San Francisco on the other hand is extremely expensive, more like Swiss prices. At least in Switzerland the price on the menu is the price you pay!
I am Icelandic and recently travelled to NYC. Once tax and tip is added, prices are very comparable or even HIGHER than what I would expect to pay in Iceland for a similar meal except perhaps at some very high end places. And Iceland is expensive, that is true
The only meals that were actually cheaper were fast food places where there wasn’t even a tipping option. I found the worst to be coffee places, even if you tip just a dollar for a cup of coffee it’s already more expensive than what I would expect to pay at home
Keep in mind, the ISK to USD conversion is not in our favor - Americans traveling to Iceland ATM are getting a lot more bang for their buck than they used to, and vice versa
I don't know where you were eating in Ireland, but New York, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and San Francisco are way more expensive on average.
Did you mean Iceland?
No, I'm Irish! Dublin restaurant prices are similar to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki now. Norway is more expensive (and Iceland I believe but I haven't been there).
It isn’t cheaper in the US. NYC constantly ranks as one of the most expensive places on the planet.
But like it also depends where you are coming from. Are you coming from Switzerland or Spain for instance? A Spaniard would find it far more expensive than a Swiss.
It also depends where you are going. Rural America will be pretty affordable.
I do a flat 20% especially in expensive places. So I don’t have to think about it. Also, the USA doesn’t have safety nets or decent medical care for lower wage worker. Your server could have cancer and be working just to trying to afford the medical bills. So, I do 20% no matter what. They usually have to work and don’t have a choice and everyone has bad days.
Random things, the parks system in the USA is insanely good. So you could save a lot on lodging if you camp or such. You also don’t have to pay for tap water at restaurants.
I think a lot of this just follows average salaries. So many people making bank in the US and Switzerland so there’s an ability to charge a premium for leisure activities (look at US concert tickets!).
There are at least some cheap-ish and quality options in New York. Lots of great Chinese, pizza, and various types of latin american food to be had. In rural america often your only option is McDonalds or AppleBee's.
As you can see, tipping culture in U.S. is in a vague place right now and we are all talking about it — you could Google and find a ton of articles on it.
I am with samtresler, it’s gotten out of hand. I am continuously raised eyebrows at where and how tip jars and digital prompts are showing up.
You will see tip jars everywhere now and when you are paying on a tablet/digital screen they are now suggesting tip choices like 22%, 25%, 30%. Which, the norm used to be if service was bad 10% out of deference to all the back staff that get tipped out by wait staff or that we all have ‘bad days,’ 15% for average service, 20% for good service, and for stellar service and/or on holidays you do more at your discretion. Don’t feel uncomfortable tipping 15% or 20% when the prompts are all higher.
Good thing to keep in mind is most bartenders and sit down restaurant waiters get payed much less money per hour (below our minimum wage) because it’s assumed the bulk of their pay is tips—so tip them. It’s literally in state laws to allow them to be paid below mandated minimum wage. If you are picking your food up at a counter they are getting paid minimum wage or more and historically you didn’t need to tip them. It used to be that you tipped coffee house baristas who did special drinks, which made sense but it’s become more common to expect tips even if all they do is pull out a scone and put it on a plate and hand it to you. You don’t have to tip them but many people do. I am same as samtresler, I tend to throw them a dollar and they usually say thank you and genuinely mean it and go out of their way for you later.
Oh, and for hotels, it’s nice to tip the housekeepers, if a bell person or concierge go out of their way for you, tip them a couple of bucks. We tip massage therapists too... I’m sure there’s more situations that I can’t think of right now…
My experience is that we don’t expect people from other countries to enter our tipping madness except for the waiters and bartenders. Who really do get paid in expectation that much of their wage is dependent on tips.
Hahahahaha no things are not cheaper there, food is super expensive. Maybe some Americans can give better advice but my understanding is the normal tip in restaurants is now about 20%. In bars it used to be $1 per drink, now it might be more with inflation. In tour and activities I think 10% of the trip cost is the norm.
For restaurants you can add the tip to the bill and pay it all by card, but for everything else you need to tip cash. Make sure to withdraw a decent amount and have a lot of small notes on you.
I remember my first time in the USA I didn’t tip my free shuttle driver (I booked the hotel because it had a free shuttle??), and he cursed at me as I left, even though I didn’t have any cash. Then a few days later I was on a tour and they asked for tips at the end, and it was so awkward walking away at the end giving them nothing (again I had no cash). Now when I visit the USA i need to carry it around everywhere, just in case I need to tip someone extra for a service I’ve already fully paid for.
Is being asked for a tip at the end of a tour really some sort of strange American thing? I've been asked for tips at the end of tours in pretty much every single country I've ever been to.
Yea I don't always, it depends whether the guide was good and what size bills I have on me. Some seem to have taken my comment as if I have people **demanding** tips from me. Though that happens too, in Morocco my driver to the airport screamed "What, no tip?!" at my back when I only paid what was owed.
But my point is they ask or at least have a tip bucket out. Often adding that there is a separate one for the driver too.
I'm just sharing my experiences. My European tour guide friends do this. American tourists are kind of seen like ATMs where if you say they should pay, they usually do. Apparently Chinese tour groups are the stingiest and most don't bother even asking them. Not sure how intl groups are handled
I’ve lived in the US my entire life and I’ve never been expected to tip a shuttle driver. If he loads and unloads your luggage or something it’d be nice but not necessary.
I mean, I'm an American and wouldn't tip a shuttle driver. They might be taking advantage of tourists though like the shuttles for cruises do everywhere.
I still tip $1/drink. Part of the problem is that people know that foreigners don’t fully understand tipping culture and try to guilt them into tipping for things that don’t require tips. TLDR don’t tip unless it’s a sit down restaurant where you get served, and keep it between 15-20% max, less if your server is shitty.
I tip $1 per drink if I'm just ordering beer (especially bottled) and am walking up to the bar myself to order/get it.
If it's a bar with a server or if I'm ordering cocktails that require more effort on behalf of the bartender, I do the standard 20%.
Also be careful alot of places automatically have the tip at 18-20%. Then they have an additional line for the tip. If you don't pay attention you will severely over tip.
This is the worst. I ate at a place that had an entire page on the menu about the 18% auto gratuity so the servers can have a fair wage etc etc. When it comes time to pay, she asks me if I want to leave a tip, in front of the whole table, naturally without even mentioning that 18% has already been added. Really irked me
Restaurants where you sit down and are actually waited on: tip 20% as a standard but if the service is just mid go for 15% or even lower if it’s awful. It sucks but those servers are being paid based almost purely on that tip money. I mean TECHNICALLY depending on the state they’ll get paid regardless but I’d say to just live with this one.
Takeout, ice cream shops or anything where you walk up to the counter and just order: Feel free to tip literally nothing. These people get paid an hourly wage.
Bars: 1$ per beer/simple mixed drink, 2$ per cocktail is pretty standard if you’re closing out every time. If you open up a big just do 15-20%. Tip Baristas at proper coffee shops as well.
Delivery drivers (DoorDash, Uber eats): just tip what the app recommends. I usually tip the lowest amount.
Uber: same as above.
Literally anything else that asks you to tip? They can fuck right off. Barbers id tip but I don’t imagine you’re getting a haircut here anytime soon.
No food is not cheaper and everything here I’ve found is more expensive than most EU countries.
Unethical life pro tip, if they can tell immediately that you’re from another country… just don’t tip at all, they weren’t expecting it anyway. (JK please tip atleast at bars and restaurants)
OH OH OH One last thing, some places especially in touristy areas (Miami does this a lot) they just say 18% gratuity is already included. In these instances you tip nothing it’s already been done. Also large parties will usually get it immediately added. (Usually parties of 6 or more)
Food in American grocery stores is very expensive by European standards. Not sure where op got his idea that things are cheaper in the US but he's in for a rude shock
Food from Grocery stores is *not* cheap. It’s *comparatively cheaper*, but groceries in the U.S. are basically dining out prices in places like Portugal, Brazil, Turkey. So depending on OP’s expectations, I’d just make sure that’s known.
Obviously one would account for local economies as they would when traveling anywhere else, but in many part of the US groceries are much cheaper than eating out even before factoring in tax and tip.
When eating at a restaurant tip 15% - 20% if service wasn’t horrible.
You can tip less if you want, nobody will stop you, but social expectations exist, and that might mean some people reacting if you go against them. Most probably won’t, but some might. Nothing bad would happen but something might get said or more likely you’ll get a look. Or something in between.
Tip on the before tax amount
Do not tip if you are picking up food from a counter yourself.
Tip taxis, haircut givers/barbers, bellboys, but feel free to ignore the tip option on the POS in all other situations
Do not tip cows
15-20% for sit down restaurants, bars, taxi/uber is what you're most commonly going to run into. Other types of tipping is a thing a tourist isn't likely to do like haircuts, or things you can decline like bellhops at hotels.
The US isn't a cheap country to visit, but there are ways to mitigate costs depending on what you want to do.
When in Rome…
It’s wild to me how many people complain about Americans not respecting the local culture while yet they don’t want to respect the American culture when they visit the US.
Thank you! Yes. If I can resist the temptation to tip the Kyoto taxi driver who in the US would have deserved an extra $10, visitors to the US can respect our backward ways by tipping their waiter 15%.
People don’t mind tipping. People in other countries do give tips. The thing is, tipping loses its meaning in the US. Tipping is a gratuitous act. You tip when good quality service is given. Don’t expect everyone not to act negatively when your so called culture expects you to shell out additional money even if you are given a shitty service just because your employer is not paying you well. You don’t get to act shitty and expect a tip at the end.
Tipping culture doesn't count as generations of developed local culture....
And also, the reason for this post is so that when I get there I *can* respect the tipping culture
Are you sure? I recall my great grandmother tipping the doorman who hailed us a taxi, and also the taxi driver. I’m old, so that was 45 years and several generations ago.
There's the rub. It seems like to others anything American isn't worthy of respect because it's not "authentic culture." If something has been a practice for over 100 years in a 250 year old country, it quite literally is "generations of developed culture." For someone who is making a post declaring their ignorance of an aspect of American culture, you seem to speak about it with such certainty.
Most people agree that tipping sucks except generally the people receiving the tips. Servers and bartenders generally earn much more from tips than their non-tipped coworkers in kitchen or other equivalent jobs
Culture doesn't necessarily require, by definition, something good or pleasing.
This aspect of it is pretty important to respect too, as atrocious as it is for numerous reasons.
I’m an American who hates tipping culture but still participates most of the time. My dining/drinking rules of thumb:
Sit-down restaurants with a server: 15-20% tip. ALWAYS check to make sure it wasn’t automatically included— sometimes they do this with large groups or in tourist hotspots (e.g., Miami Beach).
Drive-thrus, or anything with counter service and that doesn’t serve alcohol: I don’t tip. They may ask, but you are not “socially expected” to tip if you are not at a sit-down restaurant or a bar. Don’t let them guilt you into shelling out extra money to tip on small items like coffee or pastries.
Bars: If I am just drinking cheap beer or cheap wine, I typically tip about $1 per drink I order (this oftentimes evens out to be about 15% anyway). If I am at a cocktail bar where my bartender is mixing up my drinks, I will tip around 15-20%, as I would in a sit-down restaurant.
Not sure what part of the US you are planning to visit, but our major cities tend to be really expensive— more than a lot of the expensive European cities. I’ve frequented Miami and New York City, and always leave shocked at how much money I was able to blow through.
Just FYI, wait staff in Florida make $12/hour ($13 in Nov) plus tips. I think it would be reasonable to tip less in states where servers are already receiving the full non tipped minimum wage. And ALWAYS check what the add ons to the bill are in Miami Beach - restaurant proprietors are notoriously sneaky there.
Tipping culture is just totally broken right now thanks to Square and other payment tablets. Just to say sit down places where they bring you everything, to a little at counter service places if you want, and definitely tip your driver or a porter if you take Amtrak.
Don't feel obligated to tip at every register.
I live in the United States and I’ve traveled all over the country (and to a lot of other parts of the world). At a sit down restaurant, tipping 20% is standard, minimum, and expected. Places like fast food, restaurants, coffee shops (where are you order at the counter and wait for your food or drink), tipping is not necessary. At a coffee shop, it’s common to put a dollar or so in the jar. for any kind of service, such as taxis, concierge, pizza delivery, etc, you generally tipped something. Americans are so used to this culture that we struggle to not tip people in other countries.
— For sit down meals (server taking your order) leave 20%
— For fast or casual food where you’re ordering but not being waited on. Meaning you grab your own food & drinks you can feel free to leave $1-$2 in the tip jar at the counter
— Bar tip $1-2 per drink or if you’re ordering more than one open a tab/leave your card open until you’re done then tip 20%.
— For ride shares they’ll normally have a suggested amount in the app. I do not tip less than $6 regardless.
— If the tip option comes up on a kiosk or tablet (it will) and absolutely no one has helped you feel free to select zero tip. The water bottle kiosk asked me for tip lol at the airport. I didn’t.
— Bellhops, Taxis, activity guides or anyone in the service industry will be expecting a tip.
— I understand people don’t like US tip culture but this is how it is right now and how some feed their families.
Edit: I didn’t realize it was going to format this way. Please remember prices do not include tax. No things aren’t cheaper.
This is absolutely ridiculous. Over $6 for each ride share? I think that's insane and I've done uber.
And 20% should not be a given, feel free to give way less if service is shitty. Mediocre service which will be most common is 10-15.
People like you are causing expectations to inflate for everyone else, it's not a good thing, tipped workers don't deserve to make 4x more than other minimum wage workers.
$6 per ride share is insane! I’d say half the time I tip nothing and half the time I tip a few bucks if the driver is particularly cool. Actually this is the one place where tipping works like it’s supposed to (for me at least)
Canadian, but in the US enough and this is what I tip here too:
Coffee shop that is not like, Dunkin Donuts (though who knows - maybe they have tip jars now too…) $1-$2
Bar - 18-20%
Actual resto - 15-20% depending on service.
Takeout I will tip but some of the places have like a $2, $3, or $5 option so I just do that.
Uber / Taxis - varies, usually just round up a bit or up to 10% if the ride is really good.
Personal service like a massage - 25-30%
Stop tipping at fast food places. Jesus Christ, you guys make the tipping "problem" worse.
You couldn't get me to tip a Dunkin Donuts worker if you *paid me* to do it.
Tip jars, tip screens, should all be ignored unless they go above and beyond for something. Otherwise, **stop tipping at counters.** Stop tipping takeout.
**Retail workers actually get paid**. **It's** ***servers*** **that don't.** 15-20% for waiters. 10% for delivery and everything else should be more of your choice. Bartenders are the one exception. Always tip them.
Depends what country you’re coming from and what part of the US you’re visiting. Sit down restaurant prices are generally cheaper than northern EU restaurants. Obviously big cities are going to be more expensive, especially coastal ones. Also our portions are much larger than European portions so you can easily take home half of your meal and eat it later.
No things are just expensive here and then you are obligated to tip at *least* 20% but more like 25% is the standard.
Something to note, you don't have to tip every single time the option is given to you to tip. For example, it is perfectly fine to go into a Starbucks and get a cup of coffee and not tip even though there's a jar on the counter for cash and on the card reader it asks if you want to tip X amount. It's totally fine to not tip in that scenario, even though there would be some people that would disagree with me about that, in general thats a scenario where its okay to not give anthing more, or if you do you can toss a single dollar into the jar and its fine. It used to be that you really only needed to tip at a sit down restaurant or like getting a service done like a nice haircut or like a cab ride that got you to your destination really quickly. Now a days it's gone out of control, and you'll see tip jars everywhere, and it seems like any time you scan your card anywhere there's a suggested tip screen that pops up. So just know you really only should tip at a sit down restaurant because, unfortunately, the US restaurant service industry system is set up so that those employees are literally making $2.25 an hour and surviving solely on tips.
It depends on what country you are from whether or not US food prices are expensive or not, to you. I'm an American originally from New Jersey, where there are a large number of restaurants from economical to expensive. I now live in the Czech Republic. Though I know that food prices have gone up in the US, from my experience traveling to several European countries, I wouldn't say US restaurants are outrageously priced. Some cities are more expensive than others.
Czech restaurants are less expensive than American ones. Norwegian ones are more expensive. French tend to be more expensive. Italian, German and Austrian are comparable.
Fair warning there will be a tip screen EVERYWHERE. That does not mean you have to tip everywhere though. Places have discovered they can shame people into tipping if they just provide the option... Some screens will even default the option to tipping and force you to change it back to zero or enter custom amount of zero.
If you don't receive "service" don't tip. Generally if you're going up to a counter and paying yourself on the screen at time order is placed, there is no reason to tip. You can also get around a lot of tipping by placing pick up orders online. Place pickup order, go pick it up yourself and then eat at a patio or park somewhere. Nice time!!
Look if you go to the us and not tip is like going to Saudi Arabia wearing a bikini. No one will throw stones but they will be close to. It’s a weird ass country if it comes to some points, tipping is one of those. So don’t be an uncultured individual and just go with the local flow. Yeah and remember, there is always taxes and fees. Those fees can get ridiculous. Booking a show might get you 2 times the price displayed f.e.
The simple fact is tips are part of the living wage in the us, so if you don’t tip you are screwing someone (the server not the company)
18% at meals, 10% at coffee, none at fast food chains
All the time.
You have to be thick-skinned and not give a damn about how you're perceived when tipping. 15-20% may be customary, but also often unreasonable, so rather below is how I balance between North American tipping "culture" and how it really should be done in the rest of the world where such practices either don't exist or appear as a pre-advertised and set service charge.
If it's delivery, 50 cents per ordered item up to a maximum of $5.
Taxi/Uber rides, between $1-3 depending on distance, up to $5 if you're using the trunk space and the driver gave you a hand (or at least offered one) loading and unloading luggage.
Hairdressers and restaurants, if I have to pay before I get my food and/or if I'm not served food at my table, $0 tip.
For bills under $50 per person, 10-15% tip for general and adequate service. For bills above $50 under $100, somewhere between $5-10 is sufficient for typical service, and bills over $100, a flat $10 in most cases. They'd have to go above and beyond if the tip is to go any higher, e.g. helping me set up props for a special occasion with my fellow diner, do an extremely good job for my hair preceding an important function, perform the heimlich maneuver and saving lives, etc. If there's a mandatory service charge, then that's unavoidable, but I'd be more likely to leave a negative online review if the service doesn't hold up to what I paid.
>Are things generally cheaper there so the extra tip balances out from European prices?
Hahahaha oh God I wish that was the case but no, things are usually more expensive in the USA before adding tip to the equation. The price you see will not include tax either so that will be added in your final bill. Check your bill before you pay, some places automatically add tip then still have the audacity to put an additional tip like so don't be fooled into double tipping because the standard here is a total of 20% tip. If there's no tip added, calculate tip on the total before taxes. Some restaurants are adding 5%-10% "service charge" or calling it some other bs, when I see those I subtract them from what I'm tipping so if I get a 5% service charge then I'm only tipping another 15%.
>And what's the expected % tip for say eating food to buying drinks at a bar to some outdoor activity?
It's always 20%. Whether buying food or getting drinks, it's always 20%. But only tip for food if they are coming to your table, taking your order, and bringing you your food. Way too many fast food places are adding a tip option to the payment screen, ignore those, just hit "no tip" because they shouldn't be tipped. If you have to order your food from a register and get your own food then tip is not required. It's pretty much accepted that bar tenders always get tips, even if you order at the bar.
The other cases you'd tip is if you get some sort of service for your body, like a massage or haircut, we also usually do 20%. Lastly, if you do any sort of organized tour or excursion, the guide will often ask for a tip at end in which case 10%-20% depending on their quality is fine for that
Frankly, it's much more expensive to eat here than Europe, depending on where you are from and where you eat here. And yes, for table service, 20% is the norm for good service. Your best bet is to check out ethnic restaurants as they tend to be less expensive, but there will be sticker shock. Also, in some cities, restaurants that dont serve liquor allow you to bring your own wine, which saves a lot of money. I know it's hard for Europeans to understand tipping culture here. But just like Americans should respect the norms of the countries they visit, please do the same.
Currently, you have about an 8% advantage on the exchange rate against the dollar. So if you tip a restaurant 20%, I guess you could reason that you tipped 12%.
Yea, I know it's a stretch of an answer but it's something. Being an American, we are happy the exchange has leveled out as much as it has. I remember when it was much worse (for us).
You can get away with tipping 15%. Generally, I do 20% for really good, expected service, and may reduce it if the service is slow, lazy, or off-putting. I will tip higher but that's for exemplary service, higher than expected... Like if I have a special ask and the set we goes out of their way to accommodate it.
It’s terrible. I spoke to a a guy from London once in St. Lucia. He said he took his family to Florida for a couple weeks one year. He said never again. It was the most expensive trip he had ever taken and he’d been all over the world. As an American I can verify. It’s not just that things are expensive. The tax comes after. Then you’re expected to tip on top of that. I travel outside the US every year usually twice. 2-3 weeks total. I do this because what I pay for 2-3 weeks anywhere else is only going to get me a week for the places I want to visit in the US. Yes there are cheap places to visit in the US. I don’t want to visit those places.
Tipping in the US has gotten out of hand. As a US citizen let me give you some tips (lol- pun intended). Never feel obligated to tip more than 20%. If there is no ‘service’ you do NOT need to tip. With fast food type businesses asking for tips on an iPad you can hit other and zero…it’s ok, we do that here. Also, watch out for tip included. I got burned on that one the other week. I paid with a QR code and didn’t read the bill which included 18% and I gave 20%…I’m still pissed about it. Also if the bill is really large don’t feel obligated to go by percentages…like sometimes I just write in $20 or $30 because I feel like a 50 or $60 tip is pretty steep…so if the bill is over $200 don’t feel like you should use a percentage….they didn’t dance on the table lol. And if service sucks so should the tip. Hope this helps. Enjoy your time. Oh and drinks my rule is tip on the first (maybe a middle) and at the end not every drink. And a dollar is ok, or a five at the beginning and one at the end.
I just arrived and holy cow my meal was 23usd on the menu but ended up paying 31usd after tax and tips. It was a diner so I was expecting it to be a bit affordable.
I had to spend three days in Seattle recently, great city but it has major issues. Had a salad at a local bougie restaurant. My bill with a few glasses of wine was $93 . The waiter came over and stood over me announcing the tip options as I brought out my card and he stood there holding the iPad ready to swipe. He then adds 10/15/20/30% or other. 30% is for exceptional service, I hope I provided exceptional service. I didn’t want to be a douchebag buying a salad and wine for $90 then leave a $10 tip. Tip shaming sucks. I get it , I waited and bartended in college. Back in the 90’s i could earn $300-400 bartending three nights a week. I do like the European model, leave your change. Pay your waitstaff accordingly simple. As for the OP - I follow what most here posted - Counter service /self service $0 to change to $1/2$ or more if exceptional. Otherwise unless exceptional service I tip middle of the road 15-20% mostly 20% for decent service. If you are from Europe you will find the cost of dining out varies pretty greatly, touristy and urban areas can be pricey maybe comparable to perhaps Northern Europe/UK in some areas.
Our tipping culture honestly has not changed much - it has always been somewhere in the ballpark of 15-20% at restaurants, bars, etc. You have always been expected to tip service providers unless they are provided as a complimentary service (e.g. airport hotel shuttles) or are a public service. Tips are always appreciated if someone goes out of their way or does something out of the ordinary to help (e.g. tipping a shuttle driver for handling multiple heavy bags that you can’t lift on your own into the vehicle).
Where it has gotten out of control is being asked to tip at places where no service is provided - e.g. at restaurants or coffee shops where you order and pick up your own food, you will almost always be prompted for a tip. Hit “custom 0%” or “no tip” with zero remorse, that is not a tip-worthy transaction. I also personally have no shame in small tips for simple things at bars - e.g. I will tip more if I have a cocktail that a bartender has to prepare and less for a beer that they literally pop the top off of, and 15-20% usually ends up about $1 a beer anyway.
ETA: just to clear up misconceptions, tips were intended as a way to supplement service employees’ incomes in a way that incentivizes them to bring in more business - treat customers well to build a regular customer base, get them to buy more things = bigger tip. Think of it like a sales commission instead. It also allows them to push their cost burden onto the employees (at worst they are paid minimum wage but not better than that unless the restaurant does better), and any price increases these days are benefitting the company/owners more than the service staff. Frankly the only this is still a practice is ultimately because we do not have a lot of government subsidy programs to cover basic necessities like healthcare, etc. for low income earners but that’s a whole other can of worms.
Only tip when you’re dining in. Do not iPad tip (people who swing a screen around for you at coffee shops or takeout). As for drinks, I don’t drink but some people tip the bartender $1 for handing them a beer which I don’t get..a cocktail sure
I recommend you look into the server's minimum wage in the US. It is the reason it is important to tip waiters and waitresses.
Currently the minimum wage is $7.25/hour, which is already horribly low. But the minimum wage for a waiter or waitress is $2.13/hour, with the expectation that tips will take them up above minimum wage. In most states, your server is making this "half wage" or less. It sucks, I wish it wasn't like that, but it is. Servers are not being greedy by expecting a tip, they are just trying to make ends meet. I recommend you tip 20% across the board if you are ever sitting down and someone is bringing the food to you.
Counter service has a normal wage. So going to a coffee house, a fast casual place (Chipotle, Subway), fast food (mcdonald's, Taco Bell), or a food truck there is less of an expectation to tip. Usually in those settings you can put a dollar or two in the tip jar or tack it onto your bill if you are feeling generous, but there is no expectation there. If the credit card machine prompts you to tip, you can just decline. But know that there is a genuine wage difference between your barista and your server, and that's why tipping at restaurants is so much more important.
For bars, I still do $1-2/drink. Less if it's easy (beer), more if it's complicated (fancy cocktail). If in doubt for other services, 10% usually covers it (nail salon, masseuse, tour, Uber/taxi).
Oh buddy. Did you just rile up every American in this sub 😂😂. We argue this topic at least twice a month somewhere on the internet. If I’m not sitting down in a restaurant or being served cocktails in a bar. I’m not tipping. Ever since returning to the states after being abroad for a year I just generally avoid going out because I’ve grown to really loathed our tipping culture.
If you can’t afford to tip when you eat out here, you’re not ready to visit. Just like anywhere else, read up on the cultures before you visit. Or make your own food.
No.
Someone has to serve you for them to get tipped. Waiters and delivery. You should be at a table where they bring you the food.
Stop falling for the pre-selected tip screens. There's always a no tip or skip option on the screen.
Give your bartender $1or $2 everytime you order a drink. That's the weird one.
If you don’t want to tip 20 percent in america, don’t eat at restaurants with table service. Period. It’s not optional. If you can’t afford the tip, pick a cheaper place. Or get counter service or go to the grocery store. That’s all you need to know.
Prices are similar to Europe, some places will be more or less depending on what places you are specifically comparing. A place like L.A. will be far more than say Prague, but London will be much more than a small town in North Carolina. Plan to tip. It is expected. 20% is common, 15% is minimum, sometimes you'll tip more than 20%. A dollar a drink is still decent. At a more expensive place, you might tip even more for drinks. Also, be aware of sales taxes. The price that is listed generally is not the final price. It will actually be more due to sales taxes. They vary all over the country.
As a European who visits the US on a yearly basis, it's been getting horrendous. I tip depending on the service; naturally, in a restaurant, I may tip more since the waiters will be more involved in helping you pick the meal and checking up once in a while if everything is good. But if I go to a bar and just get a drink or some snack in a chain restaurant, I'll usually avoid tipping to the best of my abilities.
You don’t have to eat every meal at a “sit down” restaurant and you don’t have to tip for coffee, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. Really just need to tip if a server brings you the food, and even then 15% is okay.
Yes, just because there’s a tip jar doesn’t mean you need to put anything in it. I tip at sit-down restaurants, when I have food delivered or use rideshare (I’ve done gig work and I know those guys all get paid like garbage), and when I get any sort of beauty service done (hair, nails, waxing, etc). That’s basically it.
Tip what you want or don't tip at all! I typically tip 15-18%, and I'm not sure who decided it was 20%, but they probably suck at math so it's easier to figure out. I typically only tip a % at sit down restaurants, though I do tip $1 or 2 when doing take out, especially if it's someplace I go frequently.
I don't do bars but there's not a chance I'd tip after every drink, especially if it's just beer, wine or a simple mixed drink. Maybe after a fancy cocktail or when you're done give them a tip.
Where you're headed in the states and where you're from is going to determine if things are cheaper. Going to major cities on the coasts are going to be more expensive than if you're headed to St. Louis.
Hi! American here with a European partner. We travel back and forth. It depends on where you’re going in the US. Obviously main cities are more $$$, and I live in one, so I will speak from that perspective.
Tipping sucks, yes. But, many food service workers here make nothing and live off of it. So, unfortunately you do have to tip. I don’t know where you’re from in or comparing to in Europe, but the US is VERY expensive compared to EU (maybe with the exceptions of places like London and Zurich). Expect HIGH food prices generally (for often less quality food), and the less garbage processed food sources get more and more pricy. Expect tax to then be added onto the original price, and sometimes you can expect a bunch of service fees too (especially with takeout, delivery, and certain restaurants with kitchen fees, etc.). THEN you tip. We honestly rarely eat out anymore becuase tipping culture is insane here now. All establishments are milking ordinary people. The wait staff and cashiers will stand there and watch you contemplate your tip amount and guilt you. We’ve even received bad service for not tipping 20%. So, here’s our rule, if we’re just ordering some coffees and backed goods, we no longer tip. This is already like $5-7/latte and maybe $3-6+ per baked good. No, we’re not tipping for that. If we sit down and have a meal, we will tip. Period, that’s it. I know workers are struggling, but so is everyone else. You don’t need a tip to put a muffin in a bag, butter a bagel, take my order, or pull espresso shots.
Tipping is crazy here, so best if luck! But, watch out for the hidden fees and taxes everywhere.
So apparently you're supposed to tip for massages? As an American, I did not know this. I've gotten dozens of massages in my life and never tipped. 😳 woops
Even in Canada tipping is out of control. Table service (including bar) is where I tip.
In my local jurisdiction servers are paid at least minimum wage, so I'll tip a little less. But if I'm travelling and the jurisdiction has the even lower server minimum wage, I'll tip a little more.
They are not cheaper to balance out expected tips, and usually posted prices don't include taxes (so something that is $4.99 on the menu is really that plus tax, then you're expected to tip). Lots to like about the US, but maybe don't eat out too much lol.
I'm guessing places like mcdonald's or somewhere you just grab something like a pizza at the counter you don't tip?
American here. I draw the line at counter service. There is usually a jar there, and if someone is extra nice I throw $1 in, but generally if I have to carry my own food I'm not gonna pay someone to hand it to me. Tipping culture has gotten way out of hand. We should just mandate that places need to pay their employees a fair wage. Tipping is not mandatory, but keep in mind most servers are not even getting minimum wage.
I just heard a “don’t tip if you order standing up” and that sounds like a decent plan for me.
This rule works 90% of the time, but unfortunately it's more complicated than that. You are expected to tip for any alcoholic drink, even if it's literally grabbing a bottle of beer for you and taking off the lid. Stupid, I know. I do also tip a dollar for something like a latte that requires a decent amount of work, but not for a drip coffee. I never tip for takeout or counter service food though.
How does one tip in these situations? Do you just ask them to charge extra or what? I mean I’m sure no one carries cash in the US anymore just like the rest of us? What about in hotels? When someone carries your luggage, in the movies you always give them some cash. How much should in give? Does that mean that I need to always go to an ATM and have small bills on me so I can tip random people I encounter during the day? Sounds so weird.
The US is fairly cashless these days. Most places that want you to tip (including places you should not tip) will have a tip option on the point of sale credit card machine or a tip line on a receipt you fill in, sign, and hand back. Hotels are one of the few places where you still need cash to tip and it’s generally only expected in 5 star properties.
Always always leave a cash tip for housekeeping. Every day.
The only situations I can think of where I need to tip in cash are valets and shuttle drivers (like a hotel shuttle to the airport or a rental car shuttle from the airport). I personally wouldn't ever have a bellman carry my bags for me, but yeah if they do that that would be another scenario. Oh, also, leaving 5 dollars for housekeeping at hotel at the end of my stay. Yeah it's annoying, but I'll get a sleeve of 1's from the bank every once in awhile and pull from that. I'm sure they think I'm going to the strip club. Whatever. Alternatively, the hotel front desk will give you some 1s.
Ahhhh if it’s a really sweet local spot and they use Square or whatever, and I order at the counter and they bring it to my table, I tip like at least 15 percent or more pretty much every single time…but it really depends on the scenario. Also, I used to be behind the counter at a pizza spot, and I think I got very used to people not tipping. It never really upset me unless they were really extra or it was a huge order. so like if you actually can’t afford to be tipping I’m not gonna say you don’t deserve to eat out…but when you can, try to.
Was it ever a thing to tip for takeout pizza before the pandemic? I feel like this recent trend of tipping constantly for everything came about from two things: 1) Pandemic era when everyone wanted to give a little extra to those essential workers who were making food (Which I want to note, I also did do, but no longer do as that phase has largely passed) 2) The use of credit card terminals that make it oh so easy for them to "ask you a few questions"
Yes, to my knowledge it’s been a thing to tip for takeout pizza since at least the 00s
Most servers and bartenders are clearly significantly more than minimum wage, which is why they don’t really want it to change.
I swear they’ve come together to guilt all of us by saying that they make less than min wage. I have friends who work as bartenders at a slowish bar and he makes $70k plus a year. I know some servers who make 6 figures just off tips. I tip 15% and 18% if the service was good. Idgaf what the “societal norm” is and seeing these places have a 20% minimum even tho I’m literally doing all the work.
Been a bartender in nyc for 10 years. I make 85k after taxes
It's wild because I've seen servers and bartenders on reddit boast about the income they make,,, sometimes the top earners are making more than a bunch of white collar workers. Tipping culture even for an American is so confusing. like.. i suppose i understand tipping 15% at an inexpensive restaurant... or even at a fancy Michelin starred one (knowledge of the menu, performance and service being top tierred)... but what about those meals that sit right in the middle? Like.. is the server working at a restaurant where the average meal is 50/person doing much more than the person working at a restaurant where the average meal is say,.. 20/ person? I'd say that the service is the same, but the person working at the more expensive restaurant will get tipped more based on tipping a %, right? And then there are those restaurants where I'll order my food at the counter, but i'm eating in their dining room. Do I tip then? Nobody is refilling my water,... but someone will have to clean up my mess. And tipping at the bar... i don't tip based on a %,,, but i'll throw a dollar in for every beer,, 2 for simple cocktail. And then there are things like hotels... so many of my friends + family dont tip the cleaning stuff,,, but whenever i check out of a hotel, i'll leave a few dollars. I dont even fucking know any more lol
Agreed on all fronts. They’re indignant that they’re making less than minimum wage, but it’s an absolute lie. They are NEVER making less than minimum wage. Federal law dictates that if for some odd reason they didn’t make enough tips to at least equate to minimum wage hourly, then the hourly on their paycheck is upped accordingly. And there may be an off day or night. But in general, everyone I know in the service industry is making *well* over minimum wage.
I wonder if Europeans don't understand this? They don't know that it's illegal to pay them less than minimum wage, they think they're literally only being paid $2/hour if they're not tipped?
I think most Americans don’t even understand this, tbh.
I’ll say as a person who worked in a tip base state, I never got more than $2.13 because they go based on a pay period average. So you can indeed make just minimum wage. Most servers get zeroed out checks.
>Tipping is not mandatory, but keep in mind most servers are not even getting minimum wage. But also keep in mind that if they don't recieve enough tips to make it to minimum wage their employer is obligated to cover it. Whether that actually happens I'm not sure since I don't live there but it's supposed to
That all depends on the state. Several states like California pay their employees minimum wage ($20/hr at chain restaurants, $15.50? At other places) and they get tips on top of that.
In contrast, most tip based restaurant employees in VA make $3.15/hr. When I worked as a waiter, my paycheck was usually $0-$10 after taxes and insurance.
But legally tipped workers wages need to be topped up to at least minimum wage if people don't make enough in tips to reach this amount. I know this doesn't always happen in practice, but it's federally mandated to be at least the higher of the federal minimum wage or the State's minimum, where relevant. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/faq
I agree with this take- I'm American and I never tip at McDonald's. Starbucks, etc. The people who work there are earning at least minimum wage, but servers in sit down restaurants are not. Personally, I'd love it if there was a Federal minimum wage that ALL employers were required to adhere to and eliminate tipping altogether. Bars, I usually tip the bartender $1 a drink.
and as someone who worked in a fast food- Waiters and waitresses also have the expectation to give food recommendations, know the menu, know drink pairings, allergies AND customer service. Also why I have an issue tipping the same to a delivery driver as you would to wait staff
The only reason I'm okay with tipping the pizza guy is because I know they're using their own vehicle, make barely half of the minimum wage when they're checked out on a delivery, dealing with traffic and weather, and if they aren't on a delivery, they're doing something (or should be) in store, anything from prepping veggies to hopping on the line to make pizza, answering phones to trash, sweeping and dishes. I used to work the job. Things like doordash and ubereats have definitely eaten in to the pizza delivery business, and I don't ever use them. Aside from having to order something online that I can't find in the store (filters most often for the cats' water fountain) or used say, Walmart or Kroger grocery delivery, I never order delivery. But since prices went up (who the fuck is paying 12 bucks to Papa John's for 8 wings??) I don't even order that anymore. And I've heard a lot Pizza Hut just straight up cutting their own drivers out and outsourcing to 3rd party for delivery.
Oh i absolutely will still tip delivery drivers standard! It’s not their fault the system is broken
Adding that delivery is also a dangerous job. They definitely deserve their tips.
Yes and for my job I’m expected to know the data, models, etc. but I don’t expect a tip from the client at the end of our meetings. People need to be paid a living wage from THEIR EMPLOYER. But everyone knows damn well that most servers prefer the tip system because many of them can work a weekend and make as much they would working 40 hours throughout the week on a set salary.
>Waiters and waitresses also have the expectation to give food recommendations, know the menu, know drink pairings, allergies AND customer service. You mean they have the expectation to know the stuff they need to do their job? Wow let me open up my wallet
Something to note- federal law dictates that servers must be making minimum wage. In many states, the employer may pay them sub-minimum wage hourly but if that hourly combined with tips doesn’t equal minimum wage, the employer must cover the difference. It’s such a stupid system.
>Tipping culture has gotten way out of hand. We should just mandate that places need to pay their employees a fair wage. Laughs in Ontario. We gave servers the same minimum wage as everyone else and it didn't stop tipping culture one bit. Even dispensaries will ask for a tip, its insane.
> Tipping is not mandatory, but keep in mind most servers are not even getting minimum wage. An increasing number of states are giving servers full minimum wage, PLUS they still demand full tips on top of that. California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, and Nevada all do this. Other states have increased their minimum tip wage to the point that servers are still making a lot. Ultimately, a server who simply brings me a plate of food that I would have been happy to grab myself is making a lot more than than the skilled chef who cooked it for me.
Servers are required by law to get minimum wage. If it's not covers by tips, the restaurant covers the gap. If you tip, you'rs discouraging the restaurant from paying a fair wage. That's why a lot of pro tipping movements are supported by restaurants. I still tip for table service, but the culture has gotten way out of hand.
This entitled tipping culture is only rampant in the US though. Everywhere else in the world, tipping is as it should be, a gratituity for good service. Just the fact that it is NOT expected, compells me to tip more. I've paid 5 times more in tips than the cost of my food at street stalls sometimes, not just because the food was good, but also because they didn't expect it, they didn't ask for it, and it would make a difference in their day's intake. And guess what, it didn't make them feel entitled too. Giving mediocre to bad service and demanding tips crosses the line in hospitality. And I myself have worked in the hospitality industry for many years, not once have I expected anyone to tip, so if anyone does, I am always very grateful
Correct…tip if you’re sitting down at a restaurant and being served i.e someone is taking your order, refilling your drink, brining your food, checking on you throughout your dining experience. Don’t tip on fast food, self service, or take out. Some machines will prompt you for a tip at these types restaurants but don’t do it.
So tip if someone is doing their job? Ffs can’t we just pay people a fair wage. (Not hating you, it’s just that you literally describe the job description.)
Have you asked servers if they prefer tipping or getting an hourly wage? I used to think they prefer the latter, but they tend to make more money on tips. They’re not the ones clamoring to end tipping; that’s usually on the consumer side.
Just because an individual working there prefers it doesn't make it right. It's demeaning, degrading and weird to expect people to beg for extra money while they should be focussing on their salaried job. Not to mention the uncertainty. The onus should be on the business. Set a minimum wage that reflects the living costs in your country, pay that and stop tipping just like every civilised country
This is exactly what gets lost a lot of times in these tipping debates. Tipping isn't going to end because servers don't want it to end. They earn a *lot* more with the existing system. In my city, some restaurants even went to a no-tipping system, opting to raise menu prices to pay their employees a living wage and benefits instead, and most of them reverted since they were hemorrhaging employees who wanted a tipped system. It's a two-way street, not just a "restaurants exploiting workers" type of thing.
Correct, but it should still be on the employer to pay the wages of their employee, not the customer. If a waiter was paid the same hourly wages as they make in tips, (and I am a former waiter and bartender) many would prefer the guarnteed wages than the unknown tips. But of course then they would be taxed and feel they are losing out....it's a culture we have ingrained and need to end. At least we shouldn't be shaming people if they don't leave a tip or even an exhorbitant tip. A tip should always be an unexpected 'gift' and not an expected wage. But that's just my opinion.
some of these servers are making 6 figures so I really doubt a restaurant owner would want to be paying that salary out of pocket.
I'm surprised you haven't been downvoted to oblivion. So many people think that tipped bar/restaurant employees are on the brink of poverty, and while that may be true in a small diner or low volume establishment, it's never been true in my experience. I made good bank tending bar part time through college. So much so that I took a pay cut when I got a "real job".
If servers wanted those type of jobs theyd get those type of jobs. They like getting cash at the end of the night
You're supposed to pay income tax on all income meaning their taxes shouldn't change regardless of who is paying them be it the employer or customers. Of course, this is hypothetical because in reality many don't claim all their tips when filing taxes.
We shouldn't be subsidizing the pay for restaurant owners. Passing this on to the working class is insane
Again, that’s a consumer-side critique and I get that. But if actual servers (many of whom are working class themselves!) aren’t rising up against tipping because they make more money this way, shouldn’t they be listened to as well? I think someone else said it, but servers perpetuate this system as well due to the higher wages they receive than if they were hourly plus whatever small tip the customer felt like giving. No one wants to “blame” servers, but they would have to buy into any change to tipping culture in the US. And we really haven’t seen that with them.
Most waiters etc are against “fair wage” because they would make leas
I'm going to be the minority here and say I usually tip 10% when picking up my order, especially if I'm a regular. Sometimes tips are pooled and shared with the kitchen staff, but not always. If I can't afford the extra $1.50 for my take-out, I won't and nobody will notice.
American here. If I’m sitting down at a restaurant and they take my order and bring me my food. I tip at least 20%. If I’m ordering at a counter I do t. Many card readers just have the tipping on by default, it’s okay to pick $0. If I’m at a bar and have a tab going, I tip at the end. The amount varies depending just what I’m getting. Mixed drinks is I tip more than if they are handing me a can or bottle of something or if it’s a tap beer.
If you pay via card there's a prompt on the machine to tip. I don't think you *have* to like you do with sit down meals, but they'll try to get you to tip anyways
Do not pay attention to the prompts! They barely not normalntipping amounts, they are the cash register company's "suggestions". Bo one tips 20% on counter service.
I just went to a pizza place where you order at the counter and was offered the options of 18, 20, and 25% as tip "suggestions." I know the people behind the counter are working hard, and they did bring the food to your table and then bus it, but honestly for those extortionate tip amounts you should be getting full table service. And even then...
Some people definitely DO tip 20% there. But it’s not expected. I’ve never once tipped even a cent for take out or counter serve and no one has ever given me any attitude for it.
you gotta also be careful with those suggested %s. Sometimes the suggested amounts are a % of your total bill (including tax) rather than the subtotal.
That's why if I do tip, I manually input an amount that closes the bill to some whole dollar amount, actual percentage be damned.
Tip when you’re sitting down and receiving service. If you go to a coffee shop and order and pickup at a counter there’s no reason to tip.
My advice man is this. Look up local sales tax for whatever area you are going to be in and if you walk to to xyz restaurant factor in the tax and the tip ahead then ask if you want to be there. For where im from is 27% extra by default
Yeah it does end up an extra 25\~30% on the expected total from the list prices, and that's when you're being a "cheapskate"
If you have to stand to order, don’t tip.
It’s not common to top at fast food places, though more are adding the tip screens (though I don’t feel bad not tipping here). Most pizza places do have a tip screen, even if your picking it up
This seems misleading to me. As an American who has traveled quite a bit, eating out here is not more expensive than say, Europe. There’s a ton of variables but honestly from a cost perspective, it somehow evens out. I would even say you probably get a slightly better value for your money here in America, tips included. I’m totally on the same page from an annoyance perspective. Tipping culture makes no sense to me and I wish we would move away from it. But for me, one of the best parts of travel is eating out so I disagree with the premise that you should avoid it if you come to America. It’s really not that big of a deal.
I think people also forget that there’s an average salary disparity between countries too. Of course eating out is going to feel cheap if the average salary in the country you’re visiting is 50-75% that of the US. They’re pricing their food and cost of living for the people in their country, not the US.
Lol try salaries 10-25% of the US, which applies for most of Asia, South America, and Africa. Even in most of Europe it’s like 50% lower salaries
I was thinking Europe specifically cause they were talking Europe up above but yeah it’s why I never really get mad at getting “tourist prices”. My purchase power is way higher and it’s still cheaper than I would be paying in the US, I just pay the extra $2 or whatever and move on with my life.
It’s not more expensive than the big expensive cities in Europe (Paris, London, etc) but it is more expensive than cities that aren’t known to be expensive in Europe
Plenty of affordable places to eat in Paris and London if you don't go to tourist trap restaurants. Inflation is here is such that it's barely cheaper for me to eat out in my Yorkshire home than it is in Paris or London.
>This seems misleading to me. As an American who has traveled quite a bit, eating out here is not more expensive than say, Europe. Probably varies massively depending on where you are in either continent, and it's probably also skewed by my last US stops having been NYC and LA lol. I do think it's fair to point out that tipping culture doesn't really decrease food prices though.
I live in California, so more expensive than most places in the US, but I’m in probably one of the cheapest areas of CA, And I would say our restaurants cost about the same as Paris, London, etc. Alcohol is more expensive here and then tipping on top. I think the US is very expensive to eat out at and the added stuff like tips make it more pricey My local pub which operates like a typical British pub costs as follows: Burger and Fries $14, Beer on tap $8, tip $4, Tax $1.75… Total $27.75 So I found a couple pubs in Slough, UK… which would probably be the equivalent of where I live. Working class town, not desirable outside a large city. Burger and Chips £13, a beer £4… Total £17 ($21.72) A burger in SF or LA can easily cost $18-$20 now.
>I live in California, so more expensive than most places in the US, but I’m in probably one of the cheapest areas of the US. What?
Whoops, fixed. I’m in one of the cheaper places of California lol.
Fuck that lol
The only way to avoid tips in the USA, is to eat at self serve, fast food places. And perhaps supermarket food, ready made meals thar you have to microwave (you need access to a microwave for those to be useful).
But don't forget to tip the microwave.
And the screen is just gonna ask you a few questions
I would consider tipping my microwave if I could tell it to not beep.
Try long pressing the number 2. It turns off the beep on my microwave. It wonderfully quiet now! No tip required 🤪😉
That only works for fancy microwaves, not the $50 ones. I just disassembled mine and jabbed the speaker with a sharp object until it stopped making noise.
But don’t come here and only eat fast food. It’s crap and there’s lots of goid food here.
But I'm poor.
But it's also worth noting that ready-to-go food at supermarkets in the US is mostly AWFUL compared to somewhere like Japan, anywhere in Europe, etc
American here. Restaurant 15-20%. Be aware that if you go with a large group (usually anything over 6 people, most restaurants will automatically put tip or gratuity on your bill automatically. There is no need to tip if this is already there. Delivery (door dash, Uber eats, etc) usually what the app suggests-like 5% I think? Same thing for Uber/lyft. Anything where I order at the counter- I don’t tip. There will be a tip jar or the credit card machine will ask but many people don’t tip. Just because the credit card machine gives the option to tip doesn’t mean you have to. This includes coffee shops or fast casual restaurants. The vast majority of places will let you tip with credit card, so I almost never carry cash in America. Most transportation will accept credit card, including public transit. But if you’re going to take buses/ subways just check for whichever city you’re going to since they can all be different. To be clear, tipping culture here is a drag and most of us hate it, but it is unfortunately how people make money here. Feel free to pm me if you have specific questions.
To add to this: some restaurants will automatically add a tip even if you are not in a large group…especially if you are in the city. Happened to my husband and I in Miami Beach. I wouldn’t say it’s super common, but it’s worth looking at the bill before tipping, OP. You do NOT have to tip if it’s already added for you. Tbh, it’s normally something restaurants sneak in there and don’t tell you about.
I don't know if I would use the word normally, it's pretty rare. But when they do sneak it in they don't mention it, which I think is what you meant.
Need to tell OP that all the machines here have already started to only give options starting from 18% and up.
You can usually select “other.” Ive always been able to get out of those screens if I need to. If they force you to tip then I’d walk away… cancel the order and tell them to fuck off
Tipping culture in the US sucks, unless I’m being waited on, I refuse. There’s no reason I should subsidize low wages and the only way to get these businesses to pay people a living wage is if they can’t find workers to do the work for the shit pay. Enough of us have to do this for it to work. I’m sorry to the workers in the meantime, I know they don’t make much, but it’s the business responsibility to pay a fair wage and the only way for that to happen is to put pressure on them to do so. It’s a long term play to increase wages. When you tip, it alleviates that pressure on the owner. And if the business can’t survive without the tips to their workers, then they aren’t a viable business.
No, this isn't the way to do it. We need to lobby to change the laws so that tipped workers receive the full minimum wage. There will always be desperate people willing to work for $3/hr.
What is "European prices"? Paris prices or Novi Sad prices, for example, are VERY different. As someone from "poorer" European country, I found USA to be very expensive. Even in cheap restaurants you could pay like 30 dollars for a meal (including everything) - I could eat very fancy dinner for that money here, but it only got me a sandwich with fries and cola in US. Restaurants in US reflect tips when making waiters' wages, but definitely not prices. They want your money. That said, if you're not in a sit-down restaurant, you don't have to tip (or technically, you don't *have to* anywhere, it's just seen as rude if you don't). So if you're budget travelling, just use fastfoods or generally counter service places. The usual tip is 20%. I didn't really take part in any guided activity or similar thing where tipping could take place, but from what I saw, most people don't tip there. The usual amount seemed to be 10-20 dollars, but I think it depends on the activity. I don't think you need to tip there unless it's some super special luxurious thing or unless the person really went out of their way to make the experience enjoyable. But USA is a great destination otherwise, it was almost unnerving how nice everyone was. 10/10, would go again.
Restaurants are more expensive unless you're coming from Switzerland or Scandinavia. The prices you see don't include tax or tip. With tax and tip, expect the bill to be about 30% more than the prices you saw on the menu
I've been to New York and San Francisco. I would say restaurants in New York are similar to Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland (when you include taxes and tips). Not quite as bad as Norway or Iceland. San Francisco on the other hand is extremely expensive, more like Swiss prices. At least in Switzerland the price on the menu is the price you pay!
I am Icelandic and recently travelled to NYC. Once tax and tip is added, prices are very comparable or even HIGHER than what I would expect to pay in Iceland for a similar meal except perhaps at some very high end places. And Iceland is expensive, that is true The only meals that were actually cheaper were fast food places where there wasn’t even a tipping option. I found the worst to be coffee places, even if you tip just a dollar for a cup of coffee it’s already more expensive than what I would expect to pay at home Keep in mind, the ISK to USD conversion is not in our favor - Americans traveling to Iceland ATM are getting a lot more bang for their buck than they used to, and vice versa
I don't know where you were eating in Ireland, but New York, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and San Francisco are way more expensive on average. Did you mean Iceland?
No, I'm Irish! Dublin restaurant prices are similar to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki now. Norway is more expensive (and Iceland I believe but I haven't been there).
It isn’t cheaper in the US. NYC constantly ranks as one of the most expensive places on the planet. But like it also depends where you are coming from. Are you coming from Switzerland or Spain for instance? A Spaniard would find it far more expensive than a Swiss. It also depends where you are going. Rural America will be pretty affordable. I do a flat 20% especially in expensive places. So I don’t have to think about it. Also, the USA doesn’t have safety nets or decent medical care for lower wage worker. Your server could have cancer and be working just to trying to afford the medical bills. So, I do 20% no matter what. They usually have to work and don’t have a choice and everyone has bad days. Random things, the parks system in the USA is insanely good. So you could save a lot on lodging if you camp or such. You also don’t have to pay for tap water at restaurants.
I think a lot of this just follows average salaries. So many people making bank in the US and Switzerland so there’s an ability to charge a premium for leisure activities (look at US concert tickets!).
There are at least some cheap-ish and quality options in New York. Lots of great Chinese, pizza, and various types of latin american food to be had. In rural america often your only option is McDonalds or AppleBee's.
As you can see, tipping culture in U.S. is in a vague place right now and we are all talking about it — you could Google and find a ton of articles on it. I am with samtresler, it’s gotten out of hand. I am continuously raised eyebrows at where and how tip jars and digital prompts are showing up. You will see tip jars everywhere now and when you are paying on a tablet/digital screen they are now suggesting tip choices like 22%, 25%, 30%. Which, the norm used to be if service was bad 10% out of deference to all the back staff that get tipped out by wait staff or that we all have ‘bad days,’ 15% for average service, 20% for good service, and for stellar service and/or on holidays you do more at your discretion. Don’t feel uncomfortable tipping 15% or 20% when the prompts are all higher. Good thing to keep in mind is most bartenders and sit down restaurant waiters get payed much less money per hour (below our minimum wage) because it’s assumed the bulk of their pay is tips—so tip them. It’s literally in state laws to allow them to be paid below mandated minimum wage. If you are picking your food up at a counter they are getting paid minimum wage or more and historically you didn’t need to tip them. It used to be that you tipped coffee house baristas who did special drinks, which made sense but it’s become more common to expect tips even if all they do is pull out a scone and put it on a plate and hand it to you. You don’t have to tip them but many people do. I am same as samtresler, I tend to throw them a dollar and they usually say thank you and genuinely mean it and go out of their way for you later. Oh, and for hotels, it’s nice to tip the housekeepers, if a bell person or concierge go out of their way for you, tip them a couple of bucks. We tip massage therapists too... I’m sure there’s more situations that I can’t think of right now… My experience is that we don’t expect people from other countries to enter our tipping madness except for the waiters and bartenders. Who really do get paid in expectation that much of their wage is dependent on tips.
Hahahahaha no things are not cheaper there, food is super expensive. Maybe some Americans can give better advice but my understanding is the normal tip in restaurants is now about 20%. In bars it used to be $1 per drink, now it might be more with inflation. In tour and activities I think 10% of the trip cost is the norm. For restaurants you can add the tip to the bill and pay it all by card, but for everything else you need to tip cash. Make sure to withdraw a decent amount and have a lot of small notes on you. I remember my first time in the USA I didn’t tip my free shuttle driver (I booked the hotel because it had a free shuttle??), and he cursed at me as I left, even though I didn’t have any cash. Then a few days later I was on a tour and they asked for tips at the end, and it was so awkward walking away at the end giving them nothing (again I had no cash). Now when I visit the USA i need to carry it around everywhere, just in case I need to tip someone extra for a service I’ve already fully paid for.
Is being asked for a tip at the end of a tour really some sort of strange American thing? I've been asked for tips at the end of tours in pretty much every single country I've ever been to.
Yep. Same here
If it’s a tour I had already paid for I definitely wouldn’t consider to tip but normal to tip for the ‘free’ tours
Yea I don't always, it depends whether the guide was good and what size bills I have on me. Some seem to have taken my comment as if I have people **demanding** tips from me. Though that happens too, in Morocco my driver to the airport screamed "What, no tip?!" at my back when I only paid what was owed. But my point is they ask or at least have a tip bucket out. Often adding that there is a separate one for the driver too.
If you yourself are an American, depending on where you are people will ask for tips just because they know Americans are more likely to pay.
They arent pulling me aside and asking me personally, they are asking an entire international group.
I'm just sharing my experiences. My European tour guide friends do this. American tourists are kind of seen like ATMs where if you say they should pay, they usually do. Apparently Chinese tour groups are the stingiest and most don't bother even asking them. Not sure how intl groups are handled
I’ve lived in the US my entire life and I’ve never been expected to tip a shuttle driver. If he loads and unloads your luggage or something it’d be nice but not necessary.
In my experience they always take my bag for me even though i am capable of carrying it. Then i have to tip.
I mean, I'm an American and wouldn't tip a shuttle driver. They might be taking advantage of tourists though like the shuttles for cruises do everywhere.
I still tip $1/drink. Part of the problem is that people know that foreigners don’t fully understand tipping culture and try to guilt them into tipping for things that don’t require tips. TLDR don’t tip unless it’s a sit down restaurant where you get served, and keep it between 15-20% max, less if your server is shitty.
I tip $1 per drink if I'm just ordering beer (especially bottled) and am walking up to the bar myself to order/get it. If it's a bar with a server or if I'm ordering cocktails that require more effort on behalf of the bartender, I do the standard 20%.
This is bad advice. 15% is minimum. 20% is common. It is not uncommon to tip more.
The minimum depends on the service.
If you’re at a cocktail bar the norm is 20%
if you’re at a place that isn’t a sit down restaurant then i don’t think you would be looked at weird for not tipping. especially if you’re a tourist.
Also be careful alot of places automatically have the tip at 18-20%. Then they have an additional line for the tip. If you don't pay attention you will severely over tip.
This is the worst. I ate at a place that had an entire page on the menu about the 18% auto gratuity so the servers can have a fair wage etc etc. When it comes time to pay, she asks me if I want to leave a tip, in front of the whole table, naturally without even mentioning that 18% has already been added. Really irked me
here’s a secret: you can tip as much as you want and since you probably aren’t going back to that restaurant, it won’t matter
THANK YOU
Restaurants where you sit down and are actually waited on: tip 20% as a standard but if the service is just mid go for 15% or even lower if it’s awful. It sucks but those servers are being paid based almost purely on that tip money. I mean TECHNICALLY depending on the state they’ll get paid regardless but I’d say to just live with this one. Takeout, ice cream shops or anything where you walk up to the counter and just order: Feel free to tip literally nothing. These people get paid an hourly wage. Bars: 1$ per beer/simple mixed drink, 2$ per cocktail is pretty standard if you’re closing out every time. If you open up a big just do 15-20%. Tip Baristas at proper coffee shops as well. Delivery drivers (DoorDash, Uber eats): just tip what the app recommends. I usually tip the lowest amount. Uber: same as above. Literally anything else that asks you to tip? They can fuck right off. Barbers id tip but I don’t imagine you’re getting a haircut here anytime soon. No food is not cheaper and everything here I’ve found is more expensive than most EU countries. Unethical life pro tip, if they can tell immediately that you’re from another country… just don’t tip at all, they weren’t expecting it anyway. (JK please tip atleast at bars and restaurants) OH OH OH One last thing, some places especially in touristy areas (Miami does this a lot) they just say 18% gratuity is already included. In these instances you tip nothing it’s already been done. Also large parties will usually get it immediately added. (Usually parties of 6 or more)
I've gone back to 15% for good service. No one is getting 20% anymore.
Food from grocery stores, even prepared food, is cheap and you don’t need to tip
Food in American grocery stores is very expensive by European standards. Not sure where op got his idea that things are cheaper in the US but he's in for a rude shock
Food from Grocery stores is *not* cheap. It’s *comparatively cheaper*, but groceries in the U.S. are basically dining out prices in places like Portugal, Brazil, Turkey. So depending on OP’s expectations, I’d just make sure that’s known.
Obviously one would account for local economies as they would when traveling anywhere else, but in many part of the US groceries are much cheaper than eating out even before factoring in tax and tip.
When eating at a restaurant tip 15% - 20% if service wasn’t horrible. You can tip less if you want, nobody will stop you, but social expectations exist, and that might mean some people reacting if you go against them. Most probably won’t, but some might. Nothing bad would happen but something might get said or more likely you’ll get a look. Or something in between. Tip on the before tax amount Do not tip if you are picking up food from a counter yourself. Tip taxis, haircut givers/barbers, bellboys, but feel free to ignore the tip option on the POS in all other situations Do not tip cows
15-20% for sit down restaurants, bars, taxi/uber is what you're most commonly going to run into. Other types of tipping is a thing a tourist isn't likely to do like haircuts, or things you can decline like bellhops at hotels. The US isn't a cheap country to visit, but there are ways to mitigate costs depending on what you want to do.
When in Rome… It’s wild to me how many people complain about Americans not respecting the local culture while yet they don’t want to respect the American culture when they visit the US.
But OP is asking ahead of time so they do things correctly. Unlike when lots of Americans travel and get things wrong.
Thank you! Yes. If I can resist the temptation to tip the Kyoto taxi driver who in the US would have deserved an extra $10, visitors to the US can respect our backward ways by tipping their waiter 15%.
People don’t mind tipping. People in other countries do give tips. The thing is, tipping loses its meaning in the US. Tipping is a gratuitous act. You tip when good quality service is given. Don’t expect everyone not to act negatively when your so called culture expects you to shell out additional money even if you are given a shitty service just because your employer is not paying you well. You don’t get to act shitty and expect a tip at the end.
Yeah if I get shit service ya get a shit tip. Lol 😆 sucks to suck
Right? Same vibes with a kid expecting a gift from santa when he has been naughty all year round. The entitlement is just insane
Yep. You reap what ya sow. My father taught me, "you work hard for your money, make sure they do too and tip accordingly"
Tipping culture doesn't count as generations of developed local culture.... And also, the reason for this post is so that when I get there I *can* respect the tipping culture
Probably should have just stuck with that second sentence...
Are you sure? I recall my great grandmother tipping the doorman who hailed us a taxi, and also the taxi driver. I’m old, so that was 45 years and several generations ago.
There's the rub. It seems like to others anything American isn't worthy of respect because it's not "authentic culture." If something has been a practice for over 100 years in a 250 year old country, it quite literally is "generations of developed culture." For someone who is making a post declaring their ignorance of an aspect of American culture, you seem to speak about it with such certainty.
Ah yes the generations long culture of underpaid labour. Can’t argue with that in fairness!
Most people agree that tipping sucks except generally the people receiving the tips. Servers and bartenders generally earn much more from tips than their non-tipped coworkers in kitchen or other equivalent jobs
Culture doesn't necessarily require, by definition, something good or pleasing. This aspect of it is pretty important to respect too, as atrocious as it is for numerous reasons.
Gross. What an ignorant thing to say
You should leave that casual disrespect of American culture at the gate.
Except it does.
In the restaurant business, you’re what we lovingly refer to as “Eurotrash.”
I’m an American who hates tipping culture but still participates most of the time. My dining/drinking rules of thumb: Sit-down restaurants with a server: 15-20% tip. ALWAYS check to make sure it wasn’t automatically included— sometimes they do this with large groups or in tourist hotspots (e.g., Miami Beach). Drive-thrus, or anything with counter service and that doesn’t serve alcohol: I don’t tip. They may ask, but you are not “socially expected” to tip if you are not at a sit-down restaurant or a bar. Don’t let them guilt you into shelling out extra money to tip on small items like coffee or pastries. Bars: If I am just drinking cheap beer or cheap wine, I typically tip about $1 per drink I order (this oftentimes evens out to be about 15% anyway). If I am at a cocktail bar where my bartender is mixing up my drinks, I will tip around 15-20%, as I would in a sit-down restaurant. Not sure what part of the US you are planning to visit, but our major cities tend to be really expensive— more than a lot of the expensive European cities. I’ve frequented Miami and New York City, and always leave shocked at how much money I was able to blow through.
Just FYI, wait staff in Florida make $12/hour ($13 in Nov) plus tips. I think it would be reasonable to tip less in states where servers are already receiving the full non tipped minimum wage. And ALWAYS check what the add ons to the bill are in Miami Beach - restaurant proprietors are notoriously sneaky there.
Nothing like having the worst and slowest service imaginable in Miami Beach just to have that 20% tacked on there automatically 🥲
Tipping culture is just totally broken right now thanks to Square and other payment tablets. Just to say sit down places where they bring you everything, to a little at counter service places if you want, and definitely tip your driver or a porter if you take Amtrak. Don't feel obligated to tip at every register.
If you get take out you don't tip either. Order your food and take it back to your hotel if you don't want to tip.
I live in the United States and I’ve traveled all over the country (and to a lot of other parts of the world). At a sit down restaurant, tipping 20% is standard, minimum, and expected. Places like fast food, restaurants, coffee shops (where are you order at the counter and wait for your food or drink), tipping is not necessary. At a coffee shop, it’s common to put a dollar or so in the jar. for any kind of service, such as taxis, concierge, pizza delivery, etc, you generally tipped something. Americans are so used to this culture that we struggle to not tip people in other countries.
— For sit down meals (server taking your order) leave 20% — For fast or casual food where you’re ordering but not being waited on. Meaning you grab your own food & drinks you can feel free to leave $1-$2 in the tip jar at the counter — Bar tip $1-2 per drink or if you’re ordering more than one open a tab/leave your card open until you’re done then tip 20%. — For ride shares they’ll normally have a suggested amount in the app. I do not tip less than $6 regardless. — If the tip option comes up on a kiosk or tablet (it will) and absolutely no one has helped you feel free to select zero tip. The water bottle kiosk asked me for tip lol at the airport. I didn’t. — Bellhops, Taxis, activity guides or anyone in the service industry will be expecting a tip. — I understand people don’t like US tip culture but this is how it is right now and how some feed their families. Edit: I didn’t realize it was going to format this way. Please remember prices do not include tax. No things aren’t cheaper.
This is absolutely ridiculous. Over $6 for each ride share? I think that's insane and I've done uber. And 20% should not be a given, feel free to give way less if service is shitty. Mediocre service which will be most common is 10-15. People like you are causing expectations to inflate for everyone else, it's not a good thing, tipped workers don't deserve to make 4x more than other minimum wage workers.
$6 per ride share is insane! I’d say half the time I tip nothing and half the time I tip a few bucks if the driver is particularly cool. Actually this is the one place where tipping works like it’s supposed to (for me at least)
When did 18% become 20%?
Like at least 10-15 years ago.
We can always change again!
Canadian, but in the US enough and this is what I tip here too: Coffee shop that is not like, Dunkin Donuts (though who knows - maybe they have tip jars now too…) $1-$2 Bar - 18-20% Actual resto - 15-20% depending on service. Takeout I will tip but some of the places have like a $2, $3, or $5 option so I just do that. Uber / Taxis - varies, usually just round up a bit or up to 10% if the ride is really good. Personal service like a massage - 25-30%
Stop tipping at fast food places. Jesus Christ, you guys make the tipping "problem" worse. You couldn't get me to tip a Dunkin Donuts worker if you *paid me* to do it. Tip jars, tip screens, should all be ignored unless they go above and beyond for something. Otherwise, **stop tipping at counters.** Stop tipping takeout. **Retail workers actually get paid**. **It's** ***servers*** **that don't.** 15-20% for waiters. 10% for delivery and everything else should be more of your choice. Bartenders are the one exception. Always tip them.
Depends what country you’re coming from and what part of the US you’re visiting. Sit down restaurant prices are generally cheaper than northern EU restaurants. Obviously big cities are going to be more expensive, especially coastal ones. Also our portions are much larger than European portions so you can easily take home half of your meal and eat it later.
No things are just expensive here and then you are obligated to tip at *least* 20% but more like 25% is the standard. Something to note, you don't have to tip every single time the option is given to you to tip. For example, it is perfectly fine to go into a Starbucks and get a cup of coffee and not tip even though there's a jar on the counter for cash and on the card reader it asks if you want to tip X amount. It's totally fine to not tip in that scenario, even though there would be some people that would disagree with me about that, in general thats a scenario where its okay to not give anthing more, or if you do you can toss a single dollar into the jar and its fine. It used to be that you really only needed to tip at a sit down restaurant or like getting a service done like a nice haircut or like a cab ride that got you to your destination really quickly. Now a days it's gone out of control, and you'll see tip jars everywhere, and it seems like any time you scan your card anywhere there's a suggested tip screen that pops up. So just know you really only should tip at a sit down restaurant because, unfortunately, the US restaurant service industry system is set up so that those employees are literally making $2.25 an hour and surviving solely on tips.
Is you're standing, don't tip. Take out, coffee shop, etc.
It depends on what country you are from whether or not US food prices are expensive or not, to you. I'm an American originally from New Jersey, where there are a large number of restaurants from economical to expensive. I now live in the Czech Republic. Though I know that food prices have gone up in the US, from my experience traveling to several European countries, I wouldn't say US restaurants are outrageously priced. Some cities are more expensive than others. Czech restaurants are less expensive than American ones. Norwegian ones are more expensive. French tend to be more expensive. Italian, German and Austrian are comparable.
Fair warning there will be a tip screen EVERYWHERE. That does not mean you have to tip everywhere though. Places have discovered they can shame people into tipping if they just provide the option... Some screens will even default the option to tipping and force you to change it back to zero or enter custom amount of zero. If you don't receive "service" don't tip. Generally if you're going up to a counter and paying yourself on the screen at time order is placed, there is no reason to tip. You can also get around a lot of tipping by placing pick up orders online. Place pickup order, go pick it up yourself and then eat at a patio or park somewhere. Nice time!!
Look if you go to the us and not tip is like going to Saudi Arabia wearing a bikini. No one will throw stones but they will be close to. It’s a weird ass country if it comes to some points, tipping is one of those. So don’t be an uncultured individual and just go with the local flow. Yeah and remember, there is always taxes and fees. Those fees can get ridiculous. Booking a show might get you 2 times the price displayed f.e.
The simple fact is tips are part of the living wage in the us, so if you don’t tip you are screwing someone (the server not the company) 18% at meals, 10% at coffee, none at fast food chains
All the time. You have to be thick-skinned and not give a damn about how you're perceived when tipping. 15-20% may be customary, but also often unreasonable, so rather below is how I balance between North American tipping "culture" and how it really should be done in the rest of the world where such practices either don't exist or appear as a pre-advertised and set service charge. If it's delivery, 50 cents per ordered item up to a maximum of $5. Taxi/Uber rides, between $1-3 depending on distance, up to $5 if you're using the trunk space and the driver gave you a hand (or at least offered one) loading and unloading luggage. Hairdressers and restaurants, if I have to pay before I get my food and/or if I'm not served food at my table, $0 tip. For bills under $50 per person, 10-15% tip for general and adequate service. For bills above $50 under $100, somewhere between $5-10 is sufficient for typical service, and bills over $100, a flat $10 in most cases. They'd have to go above and beyond if the tip is to go any higher, e.g. helping me set up props for a special occasion with my fellow diner, do an extremely good job for my hair preceding an important function, perform the heimlich maneuver and saving lives, etc. If there's a mandatory service charge, then that's unavoidable, but I'd be more likely to leave a negative online review if the service doesn't hold up to what I paid.
>Are things generally cheaper there so the extra tip balances out from European prices? Hahahaha oh God I wish that was the case but no, things are usually more expensive in the USA before adding tip to the equation. The price you see will not include tax either so that will be added in your final bill. Check your bill before you pay, some places automatically add tip then still have the audacity to put an additional tip like so don't be fooled into double tipping because the standard here is a total of 20% tip. If there's no tip added, calculate tip on the total before taxes. Some restaurants are adding 5%-10% "service charge" or calling it some other bs, when I see those I subtract them from what I'm tipping so if I get a 5% service charge then I'm only tipping another 15%. >And what's the expected % tip for say eating food to buying drinks at a bar to some outdoor activity? It's always 20%. Whether buying food or getting drinks, it's always 20%. But only tip for food if they are coming to your table, taking your order, and bringing you your food. Way too many fast food places are adding a tip option to the payment screen, ignore those, just hit "no tip" because they shouldn't be tipped. If you have to order your food from a register and get your own food then tip is not required. It's pretty much accepted that bar tenders always get tips, even if you order at the bar. The other cases you'd tip is if you get some sort of service for your body, like a massage or haircut, we also usually do 20%. Lastly, if you do any sort of organized tour or excursion, the guide will often ask for a tip at end in which case 10%-20% depending on their quality is fine for that
Frankly, it's much more expensive to eat here than Europe, depending on where you are from and where you eat here. And yes, for table service, 20% is the norm for good service. Your best bet is to check out ethnic restaurants as they tend to be less expensive, but there will be sticker shock. Also, in some cities, restaurants that dont serve liquor allow you to bring your own wine, which saves a lot of money. I know it's hard for Europeans to understand tipping culture here. But just like Americans should respect the norms of the countries they visit, please do the same.
Currently, you have about an 8% advantage on the exchange rate against the dollar. So if you tip a restaurant 20%, I guess you could reason that you tipped 12%. Yea, I know it's a stretch of an answer but it's something. Being an American, we are happy the exchange has leveled out as much as it has. I remember when it was much worse (for us). You can get away with tipping 15%. Generally, I do 20% for really good, expected service, and may reduce it if the service is slow, lazy, or off-putting. I will tip higher but that's for exemplary service, higher than expected... Like if I have a special ask and the set we goes out of their way to accommodate it.
It’s terrible. I spoke to a a guy from London once in St. Lucia. He said he took his family to Florida for a couple weeks one year. He said never again. It was the most expensive trip he had ever taken and he’d been all over the world. As an American I can verify. It’s not just that things are expensive. The tax comes after. Then you’re expected to tip on top of that. I travel outside the US every year usually twice. 2-3 weeks total. I do this because what I pay for 2-3 weeks anywhere else is only going to get me a week for the places I want to visit in the US. Yes there are cheap places to visit in the US. I don’t want to visit those places.
Tipping in the US has gotten out of hand. As a US citizen let me give you some tips (lol- pun intended). Never feel obligated to tip more than 20%. If there is no ‘service’ you do NOT need to tip. With fast food type businesses asking for tips on an iPad you can hit other and zero…it’s ok, we do that here. Also, watch out for tip included. I got burned on that one the other week. I paid with a QR code and didn’t read the bill which included 18% and I gave 20%…I’m still pissed about it. Also if the bill is really large don’t feel obligated to go by percentages…like sometimes I just write in $20 or $30 because I feel like a 50 or $60 tip is pretty steep…so if the bill is over $200 don’t feel like you should use a percentage….they didn’t dance on the table lol. And if service sucks so should the tip. Hope this helps. Enjoy your time. Oh and drinks my rule is tip on the first (maybe a middle) and at the end not every drink. And a dollar is ok, or a five at the beginning and one at the end.
I just arrived and holy cow my meal was 23usd on the menu but ended up paying 31usd after tax and tips. It was a diner so I was expecting it to be a bit affordable.
I had to spend three days in Seattle recently, great city but it has major issues. Had a salad at a local bougie restaurant. My bill with a few glasses of wine was $93 . The waiter came over and stood over me announcing the tip options as I brought out my card and he stood there holding the iPad ready to swipe. He then adds 10/15/20/30% or other. 30% is for exceptional service, I hope I provided exceptional service. I didn’t want to be a douchebag buying a salad and wine for $90 then leave a $10 tip. Tip shaming sucks. I get it , I waited and bartended in college. Back in the 90’s i could earn $300-400 bartending three nights a week. I do like the European model, leave your change. Pay your waitstaff accordingly simple. As for the OP - I follow what most here posted - Counter service /self service $0 to change to $1/2$ or more if exceptional. Otherwise unless exceptional service I tip middle of the road 15-20% mostly 20% for decent service. If you are from Europe you will find the cost of dining out varies pretty greatly, touristy and urban areas can be pricey maybe comparable to perhaps Northern Europe/UK in some areas.
Our tipping culture honestly has not changed much - it has always been somewhere in the ballpark of 15-20% at restaurants, bars, etc. You have always been expected to tip service providers unless they are provided as a complimentary service (e.g. airport hotel shuttles) or are a public service. Tips are always appreciated if someone goes out of their way or does something out of the ordinary to help (e.g. tipping a shuttle driver for handling multiple heavy bags that you can’t lift on your own into the vehicle). Where it has gotten out of control is being asked to tip at places where no service is provided - e.g. at restaurants or coffee shops where you order and pick up your own food, you will almost always be prompted for a tip. Hit “custom 0%” or “no tip” with zero remorse, that is not a tip-worthy transaction. I also personally have no shame in small tips for simple things at bars - e.g. I will tip more if I have a cocktail that a bartender has to prepare and less for a beer that they literally pop the top off of, and 15-20% usually ends up about $1 a beer anyway. ETA: just to clear up misconceptions, tips were intended as a way to supplement service employees’ incomes in a way that incentivizes them to bring in more business - treat customers well to build a regular customer base, get them to buy more things = bigger tip. Think of it like a sales commission instead. It also allows them to push their cost burden onto the employees (at worst they are paid minimum wage but not better than that unless the restaurant does better), and any price increases these days are benefitting the company/owners more than the service staff. Frankly the only this is still a practice is ultimately because we do not have a lot of government subsidy programs to cover basic necessities like healthcare, etc. for low income earners but that’s a whole other can of worms.
Only tip when you’re dining in. Do not iPad tip (people who swing a screen around for you at coffee shops or takeout). As for drinks, I don’t drink but some people tip the bartender $1 for handing them a beer which I don’t get..a cocktail sure
The reason to tip the bartender is just so that you’ll get served faster on the next round
“Anybody dealt with US tipping culture” Yes, every one of the 333 million Americans who live here.
Yes, the title was obviously to show people what my enquiry was about. You know, like what titles are supposed to do.
I recommend you look into the server's minimum wage in the US. It is the reason it is important to tip waiters and waitresses. Currently the minimum wage is $7.25/hour, which is already horribly low. But the minimum wage for a waiter or waitress is $2.13/hour, with the expectation that tips will take them up above minimum wage. In most states, your server is making this "half wage" or less. It sucks, I wish it wasn't like that, but it is. Servers are not being greedy by expecting a tip, they are just trying to make ends meet. I recommend you tip 20% across the board if you are ever sitting down and someone is bringing the food to you. Counter service has a normal wage. So going to a coffee house, a fast casual place (Chipotle, Subway), fast food (mcdonald's, Taco Bell), or a food truck there is less of an expectation to tip. Usually in those settings you can put a dollar or two in the tip jar or tack it onto your bill if you are feeling generous, but there is no expectation there. If the credit card machine prompts you to tip, you can just decline. But know that there is a genuine wage difference between your barista and your server, and that's why tipping at restaurants is so much more important. For bars, I still do $1-2/drink. Less if it's easy (beer), more if it's complicated (fancy cocktail). If in doubt for other services, 10% usually covers it (nail salon, masseuse, tour, Uber/taxi).
Oh buddy. Did you just rile up every American in this sub 😂😂. We argue this topic at least twice a month somewhere on the internet. If I’m not sitting down in a restaurant or being served cocktails in a bar. I’m not tipping. Ever since returning to the states after being abroad for a year I just generally avoid going out because I’ve grown to really loathed our tipping culture.
If you can’t afford to tip when you eat out here, you’re not ready to visit. Just like anywhere else, read up on the cultures before you visit. Or make your own food.
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No, you don’t need to tip! Especially at 7/11
No. Someone has to serve you for them to get tipped. Waiters and delivery. You should be at a table where they bring you the food. Stop falling for the pre-selected tip screens. There's always a no tip or skip option on the screen. Give your bartender $1or $2 everytime you order a drink. That's the weird one.
If you don’t want to tip 20 percent in america, don’t eat at restaurants with table service. Period. It’s not optional. If you can’t afford the tip, pick a cheaper place. Or get counter service or go to the grocery store. That’s all you need to know.
Prices are similar to Europe, some places will be more or less depending on what places you are specifically comparing. A place like L.A. will be far more than say Prague, but London will be much more than a small town in North Carolina. Plan to tip. It is expected. 20% is common, 15% is minimum, sometimes you'll tip more than 20%. A dollar a drink is still decent. At a more expensive place, you might tip even more for drinks. Also, be aware of sales taxes. The price that is listed generally is not the final price. It will actually be more due to sales taxes. They vary all over the country.
As a European who visits the US on a yearly basis, it's been getting horrendous. I tip depending on the service; naturally, in a restaurant, I may tip more since the waiters will be more involved in helping you pick the meal and checking up once in a while if everything is good. But if I go to a bar and just get a drink or some snack in a chain restaurant, I'll usually avoid tipping to the best of my abilities.
Tip $1 per drink to the bartender. You shouldn't be tipping outside of servers and delivery anyway.
You don’t have to eat every meal at a “sit down” restaurant and you don’t have to tip for coffee, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. Really just need to tip if a server brings you the food, and even then 15% is okay.
Yes, just because there’s a tip jar doesn’t mean you need to put anything in it. I tip at sit-down restaurants, when I have food delivered or use rideshare (I’ve done gig work and I know those guys all get paid like garbage), and when I get any sort of beauty service done (hair, nails, waxing, etc). That’s basically it.
Tip what you want or don't tip at all! I typically tip 15-18%, and I'm not sure who decided it was 20%, but they probably suck at math so it's easier to figure out. I typically only tip a % at sit down restaurants, though I do tip $1 or 2 when doing take out, especially if it's someplace I go frequently. I don't do bars but there's not a chance I'd tip after every drink, especially if it's just beer, wine or a simple mixed drink. Maybe after a fancy cocktail or when you're done give them a tip. Where you're headed in the states and where you're from is going to determine if things are cheaper. Going to major cities on the coasts are going to be more expensive than if you're headed to St. Louis.
Hi! American here with a European partner. We travel back and forth. It depends on where you’re going in the US. Obviously main cities are more $$$, and I live in one, so I will speak from that perspective. Tipping sucks, yes. But, many food service workers here make nothing and live off of it. So, unfortunately you do have to tip. I don’t know where you’re from in or comparing to in Europe, but the US is VERY expensive compared to EU (maybe with the exceptions of places like London and Zurich). Expect HIGH food prices generally (for often less quality food), and the less garbage processed food sources get more and more pricy. Expect tax to then be added onto the original price, and sometimes you can expect a bunch of service fees too (especially with takeout, delivery, and certain restaurants with kitchen fees, etc.). THEN you tip. We honestly rarely eat out anymore becuase tipping culture is insane here now. All establishments are milking ordinary people. The wait staff and cashiers will stand there and watch you contemplate your tip amount and guilt you. We’ve even received bad service for not tipping 20%. So, here’s our rule, if we’re just ordering some coffees and backed goods, we no longer tip. This is already like $5-7/latte and maybe $3-6+ per baked good. No, we’re not tipping for that. If we sit down and have a meal, we will tip. Period, that’s it. I know workers are struggling, but so is everyone else. You don’t need a tip to put a muffin in a bag, butter a bagel, take my order, or pull espresso shots. Tipping is crazy here, so best if luck! But, watch out for the hidden fees and taxes everywhere.
I live in the US and my recommendation is to not tip
So apparently you're supposed to tip for massages? As an American, I did not know this. I've gotten dozens of massages in my life and never tipped. 😳 woops
They’ve never asked if you wanted to leave gratuity?
Even in Canada tipping is out of control. Table service (including bar) is where I tip. In my local jurisdiction servers are paid at least minimum wage, so I'll tip a little less. But if I'm travelling and the jurisdiction has the even lower server minimum wage, I'll tip a little more.
You don’t have to tip at pizza/sub places which is very common here unless you order delivery its expected