How Much to Tip: The Complete Guide (Every Situation)

15%? 20%? 25%? The answer depends on where you are and who served you. The complete tipping guide for every situation you'll actually encounter.

Restaurants: the core rules

In the US, the standard for sit-down table service is 18–20% of the pre-tax bill — 15% for adequate service, 20%+ for great service. A few specifics people get wrong:

• Tip on the pre-tax subtotal. The tradition is pre-tax; the difference is small, but on a $200 bill it's ~$3.
• Check for auto-gratuity first. Parties of 6–8+ often get an automatic 18–20% added. Adding another 20% on top means you tipped 40% — check the bill.
• Buffets: 10–15%. Less service, less tip — but the drink runner and busser still work for it.
• Bad service? Tip 10% and speak to a manager rather than stiffing the server entirely. The tip system is broken, but the individual server didn't design it.

Bars, coffee shops, and counter service

• Bartender: $1–2 per drink, or 18–20% of a complex cocktail tab.
• Coffee shop: $1 per drink or 10–15%. Nobody expects 20% on a drip coffee, despite what the tablet suggests.
• Counter service / food trucks: 10–15% if they bring food to your table; a dollar or two in the jar for pure counter pickup is plenty.
• Those tablet tip screens: the 25–30% defaults are preset by the software vendor, not by custom. Tip what the service earned, not what the screen suggests.

Delivery and takeout

• Food delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats): 15–20%, minimum $3–5. Remember the driver is using their own car and gas — and base pay is thin.
• Pizza delivery: the classic $3–5 or 15%, whichever is more.
• Takeout you picked up yourself: 0–10%. A couple of dollars is a nice gesture; 20% for handing you a bag is not expected.
• Groceries delivered: 10–15% or a few dollars for small orders.

Personal services

• Haircut / salon: 15–20% of the service price (before product purchases). $5–10 for the person who washed your hair.
• Rideshare / taxi: 15–20%, more for help with luggage or a difficult pickup.
• Hotels: $2–5 per night for housekeeping (left daily, since staff rotates), $1–2 per bag for bellhops, $2–5 for valet.
• Movers: $20–40 per mover for a half day, $40–80+ for a full day, more for difficult items.

Tipping around the world

The US is an outlier — most of the world tips less or not at all:

• Europe: service is usually included ("service compris"). Rounding up or leaving 5–10% for great service is generous.
• Japan: tipping can genuinely offend — good service is the standard, not a transaction.
• UK: 10–12.5% at restaurants, often already added as a "discretionary" charge you can remove.
• Australia/NZ: not expected; 10% for exceptional service.

When traveling, check local norms before you go — over-tipping exports a bad incentive structure, and under-tipping stiffs people in tip-dependent economies.

A note on tip fatigue

If it feels like everyone's asking for a tip now, you're not imagining it — tip prompts have spread to self-checkout-adjacent situations where no service occurred. You're allowed to hit "no tip" when no one served you. Tipping is for service; a screen asking doesn't create an obligation.

Holidays, regulars, and special cases

• Holiday tipping: for service people you see regularly — house cleaners, dog walkers, babysitters, barbers — a year-end bonus equal to one visit's cost (or a week's pay for full-timers like nannies) is the custom. It's goodwill that pays dividends all next year.
• Being a regular: tipping 25%+ at the places you frequent isn't charity — it's an investment. Regulars who tip well get remembered, and remembered customers get the good table, the extra pour, the squeezed-in appointment.
• Large groups: if auto-gratuity was added, you're done unless service was exceptional. If it wasn't, tip on the full pre-discount total — the "we had a coupon" discount shouldn't come out of the server's pocket.
• Service charges vs. tips: a "service charge" goes to the house, not necessarily the staff. If you want the server to get it, ask where the charge goes — then tip on top accordingly.
• Cash is king: when you can, tip in cash. It avoids processing fees skimming the tip and, in pooled houses, cash is harder to "reallocate."

The one-sentence tipping philosophy

Tip for service rendered, proportional to the effort and your means, and never out of guilt over a screen prompt. The system is imperfect — but within it, your tip is someone's rent money. Be the customer service workers hope walks in.

Frequently asked questions