Tipping around the world

What it's for

Tipping rules vary hugely by country: where it's mandatory (US), where it's offensive (Japan) and where rounding up is enough. This guide helps you get it right.

Note

These are general indications of the most common customs: in tourist spots service may already be included, always check the bill.

Why it is effectively compulsory in the United States

In the United States a tip is not a reward, it is part of the wage: in many states the minimum wage for table staff is lower precisely because the rest is assumed to come from customers. Leaving nothing is not a matter of taste, it is taking someone's pay away.

The normal level is 15 to 20% of the bill before tax, and below 15 it reads as a complaint. Tips also go to the bartender, the taxi driver, the bellhop and the valet: the general rule is that anyone serving you in person expects something.

Where it is an insult

In Japan you do not leave a tip: flawless service is included and offering extra money embarrasses the person receiving it, who will often chase you down the street to give it back. The same holds in South Korea and, largely, in China.

In those countries the equivalent gesture is different: you bring a small gift, you thank people carefully, you pay for other people's drinks. If you really want to leave something in Japan, it goes inside an envelope: bare cash passed from hand to hand is the part that jars.

Europe sits in between

Across most of Europe a tip is a rounding-up, not a percentage: you leave the change or round to the nearest whole figure, and 5-10% is already generous. In Italy people often leave nothing at all and that is normal.

The real trap is the cover charge or a service charge already on the bill: in France «service compris» is required by law, in Italy the cover charge is a line item and not a tip, and in many tourist restaurants 10-12% has already been added. Before leaving anything, read the line at the bottom of the receipt.

Nearby tools

To split the bill and the tip between several people there is Group expenses. Before leaving, Plugs around the world and Dialling codes remove the other two classic surprises.