In America, tipping is optional in name only. Legally it’s voluntary but if you slink out of a restaurant without leaving a gratuity of between 20 and 25 per cent, you’re likely to be chased by a waiter demanding to know why. To help you avoid tipping anxiety (and disgruntled waitstaff), we explain how to tip in the United States.
In Australia, where workers are paid a fair minimum wage, a tip is just that – a bonus for great service. Paying extra on top of the bill at a restaurant may seem unnecessary to us but if you consider the waitstaff (“servers”) in America earn just a few dollars per hour for their services, it starts to make sense. In fact, under American federal law, the minimum wage for employees who also earn tips is just US$2.13 an hour and for those who don’t it’s US$7.25. Think of waitstaff as independent contractors you’re paying to wait your table. Taking a seat at a restaurant in the US means you’re entering a social contract with your waiter – you can’t apply Australian standards here.
A gratuity of 20 to 25 per cent on top of the bill (before sales tax) is standard, with extra given for topnotch service. Servers in America work hard for the money – they’re generally friendly, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile for customers.
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Bad service is unusual but it happens. To not tip at all, though, the service would have to be dreadful. Leaving just 10 per cent is a clear indication that the experience was not up to par. If you really don’t think your waitperson deserves to be paid for their service, the best course of action is to explain to the restaurant manager why you’re not leaving a tip. If you depart without tipping or providing an explanation, your server will want to know why.
Some restaurants will take it upon themselves to add a gratuity if you’re with a large party or it’s a public holiday. If the bill reads “gratuity included”, you’re not required to pay extra.
The accepted standard is US$1 a beer – if you’re heading out to a bar, ensure you have a pocketful of dollar bills. Order and pay for your drink and leave a dollar bill on the bar for the bartender – it’s not necessary to put it in their hands. If your barkeep slings you a free beer, leave the standard tip even if you’re not paying for the drink. For a complicated cocktail, however, the standard 20% rate is recommended.
Tipping In America
At fast food chains such as Dunkin Donuts or In-and-Out, the answer is no. In any other establishment such as specialist deli's, cafes and fast-casual joints from taco trucks to hotdog vendors, 10 per cent is the accepted minimum amount. For takeaway from a restaurant, you should tip the restaurant at least 10 per cent to cover the staff who facilitate and manage your order. If you're simply picking up a coffee to go, a US$1 tip or 20 per cent is customary.
Taxi drivers, hairdressers, beauty therapists, porters and those who deliver food will all expect a fee for their services. New York cabs have back-seat displays that allow you to choose a default tipping amount, up to 30 per cent. Generally, 20 per cent is fine and if you’re paying cash just add a couple of extra dollars – the same applies for Uber drivers. For hairdressers, manicurists and beauty therapists, the standard is 20 per cent, plus a few dollars for the apprentice who washes your hair. If you order food to your accommodation, its recommended that you tip a minimum of US$5 or 20 per cent (or more if they had to schlep up stairs or battle inclement weather)to the delivery person – cash is preferred. Tip porters, or bellhops, US$1 per bag they carry or US$2 for heavy bags.As British travellers discover on a first visit to the US, tipping is deeply embedded in the culture. And it is all too easy to breach etiquette.
The matter was thrust into the spotlight again recently when an American server shared their displeasure with a specific group of diners on Twitter.
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“Lmao I f***ing hate Europeans sometimes on god, ” wrote user “brecht apologist” on the social media platform. “This table just left $70 on a $700 check after chilling for HOURS. My manager even asked about their service and they were OVER THE MOON about my service so he explained the customary tip is 20% and they were like ‘ok.’ and left”.
Cue a quickly escalating debate beneath the original post, with Europeans, and Brits in particular, keen to explain that, in fact, US tipping culture is not just alien to us, but completely baffling.
So join me, reader, as I attempt to unpack the myriad rules that apply when it comes to obligatory tipping across the Pond.
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Almost anything that moves in the sphere of travel in the US. Taxi (and Uber) drivers, of course. Bellhops who take your bags to the room. Guides and bus drivers on excursions. And, when eating and drinking, waiting staff and bartenders. This also extends to dining cars on trains, and drinks at airport lounges, though there is no expectation (yet) of tipping airline staff for a safe and punctual flight.
Taxi drivers expect an absolute minimum of 15 per cent – anything less (or no tip at all) will appear to him or her that you are awarding yourself a discount. For a smile at the end of the ride, it’s 20 per cent. A good way to pay tips is by having a stash of $1 bills – this goes direct to the driver. On a $20 ride, a $3 tip in cash will be fine.
Uber invites you to tip a broad range of amounts: on a $10 ride, for example, you could be offered options of $1, $3 or $5 – a range of percentages of 10, 30 or 50. In this situation I select “Custom Amount” and pay an extra $2 (20 per cent).
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If you are staying at the kind of place where bellhops take your bags to your room, then you will be expected to pay-per-bag – anything from $1 upwards. If the member of staff shows you how to switch on the light in your room, they will be expecting a minimum of $5, even if you have only one modest bag.
Housekeeping staff may leave a handwritten note for you, with the implication that you will leave some US dollar notes for them.
…which is where the real tipping minefield begins. A decade ago, 15 per cent was considered adequate on a restaurant meal. No longer. A campaign to make 20 per cent the “floor” for a tip is having a strong effect. The minimum is now 18 per cent.
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Except in extreme circumstances, the minimum you should leave is 18 per cent. This is, I agree, a ridiculous margin – especially as it is in addition to the 8.875 per cent sales tax on restaurant meals in New York.
The two combine to expensive effect. If you order a burger and a drink for two at a menu price of, say, $39 each in Manhattan, the total you would pay is over $100.
No. Employers in many American states are entitled to pay waiting staff at a special below-minimum-wage rate, on the assumption that diners will make up the difference.
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For example the New York State Department of Labor says: “The minimum wage for food service workers in New York City is $15 per hour. Their employers can satisfy the minimum wage by combining a cash wage of at least $10 with a tip allowance of no more than $5.” So there has long been an unwritten agreement that diners will tip handsomely.
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Usually by adding the amount to the credit card receipt. Because no one can work out 18 per cent of, say, a $55.55 total in their head, the check will typically contain three options: 18, 20 and 25 per cent. At increasingly many restaurants, the selection is 20, 22 and 25 per cent.
Settling up is all very cumbersome. You choose the one you want (or decide your own “custom amount”), write it into the space on the credit card receipt, then do some difficult adding up.
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An easier strategy is to leave actual cash dollars: as it happens, that 18 per cent of $55.55 turns out to be $10 exactly – and a crisp ten-dollar bill will probably be more appreciated than a 20 per cent add-on ($11.11) to the check.
In which case, if you are sitting up at the bar, you should tip the bartender at least $1 per drink even if it is a happy-hour special of $5 for a beer. For elaborate cocktail mixing, you will be expected to tip significantly more.
Sometimes a percentage will be added – do not confuse this with sales tax, which is always an extra. Even if, say, an 18 per cent tip is included in the bill, you will still be invited
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