Tipping in the United States: how much, to whom and how
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In Belgium, a tip is a gesture of thanks, optional, often a few euros rounded up. In the United States it’s something else: in many jobs, the tip is part of the wage.
A server may be paid well below the hourly minimum wage, on the assumption that tips will make up the difference. Not leaving one is a bit like not paying part of the bill.
It’s part of the budget: you may as well know before you leave.
The table of usual amounts
| Service | Usual amount |
|---|---|
| Restaurant with table service | 18 to 20% of the total before tax (15% if the service was mediocre, 25% if it was excellent) |
| Bar | 1 to 2 dollars a drink, or 15 to 20% of the bill |
| Café, counter, fast food | Optional. 1 dollar or 10% if you wish, nothing otherwise |
| Meal delivery | 15 to 20%, with a minimum of 3 to 5 dollars |
| Taxi, Uber, Lyft | 15 to 20% (in the app for Uber and Lyft) |
| Hotel housekeeping | 2 to 5 dollars a night |
| Porter | 1 to 2 dollars per suitcase |
| Valet parking | 2 to 5 dollars when the car is brought back to you |
| Guide, excursion | 10 to 20% of the price of the tour |
| Hairdresser, spa | 15 to 20% |
At the restaurant, how it works
- The server brings the bill (the check), often placed on the table without your asking for it.
- You put your card on it. The server takes it away and comes back with two slips: one for you, one to sign.
- On the slip to sign there’s a “Tip” line: you write the amount of the tip there, then the total, and you sign.
- You leave the signed slip on the table and keep your copy.
More and more restaurants bring a payment terminal to the table, which suggests percentages directly (18%, 20%, 22%…) along with a Custom or No tip button.
The traps to avoid
Prices are displayed before tax. Sales tax (between 0 and about 10% depending on the state and the city) is added at the till. The tip is normally calculated on the amount before tax, but many people calculate it on the total, for simplicity.
Check whether service is already included. Look on the bill for the words Gratuity, Service charge or Service included. It’s common for groups of 6 or more (often 18 to 20%) and in some restaurants in very touristy areas, such as Miami Beach. In that case, there’s no need to add a second full tip.
Cash tips. They’re appreciated, because they go straight to the server. Keep a few 1- and 5-dollar notes for the hotel, the porter and the valet, where a card isn’t possible.
Working it out quickly
And those who are often forgotten
- Guides on group excursions (an Antelope Canyon tour, a boat trip, a jeep at Monument Valley): a tip is expected at the end, preferably in cash.
- Hotel housekeeping staff: leave the tip each day rather than at the end of your stay, because it isn’t always the same person who comes. A little “Thank you” note beside it helps make clear that it’s for them.
- Airport or hotel shuttles: 1 to 2 dollars per person, a little more if the driver carries the bags.
When not to leave one
- At self-service places, fast-food outlets, supermarkets, petrol stations.
- At the hotel, for reception staff.
- In shops.