Tipping by Country

By Nathan Hays · Updated July 28, 2026

Nothing about tipping travels well. The 20% that's expected in New York would confuse a server in Tokyo and might mildly offend one in Seoul. This guide covers restaurant tipping norms for the places travelers ask about most, with a full reference table below. Wherever you land, the free tip calculator works in your local currency automatically, from dollars to yen.

North America: tipping is part of the wage

In the United States and Canada, restaurant tipping is a core part of how servers are paid, and 15-20% of the pre-tax bill is the expectation, with 20% the common default for good service. Skipping the tip reads as a complaint. Mexico runs a bit lighter: 10-15% ("propina") is standard, and it's sometimes added to the bill in tourist areas, so check before doubling up.

Canada follows the American pattern closely enough that a US visitor needs no adjustment, and card terminals there present the same 15%, 18%, and 20% presets, calculated on the total including tax unless you enter a custom amount. Beyond the restaurant, both countries expect a tip for taxis and rideshares (roughly 10-15%), hotel housekeeping (a few dollars a night), and bar service ($1-2 a drink). In Mexico, tips are best left in pesos and in cash even when you pay the bill by card, since a cash tip goes straight to the staff. Small denominations are worth carrying: it is a country where petrol attendants, grocery baggers, and parking attendants are commonly tipped a few coins.

Europe: service is usually in the price

Most of Europe pays service staff a full wage and prices service into the bill. In France, "service compris" is required by law; rounding up or leaving a euro or two for good service is a courtesy, not an obligation. Italy and Spain often add a small cover charge (coperto) instead; rounding up is plenty. In Germany and Austria, the custom is to round up 5-10% and tell the server the total as you pay rather than leaving coins on the table. The United Kingdom sits closest to America: 10-12.5% is normal at sit-down restaurants, but a service charge is often already added to the bill, and nobody double-tips on top of it.

The pattern holds across the rest of the continent with local variations worth knowing. In the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) tipping is genuinely optional and wages are high; rounding up a card payment for a good meal is the whole custom. The Netherlands and Belgium work the same way, with 5-10% considered generous rather than expected. Switzerland builds service into menu prices, and locals simply round to the nearest convenient franc. In Portugal and Greece, 5-10% for good table service is normal, and small cash is preferred. Poland, Czechia, and much of Central Europe sit around 10%, often given by telling the server the total you want to pay rather than leaving money behind.

Two habits make Europe easy. First, look for the service line before you add anything: "service compris," "servizio," "serviço," "Bedienung," or "service charge" all mean the tip is handled. Second, expect the card terminal not to offer a tip line at all in many countries; if you want to leave something, have coins or small notes on hand.

East Asia: often no tipping at all

In Japan, tipping is not part of the culture and can be seen as impolite; excellent service is simply the standard, and staff may chase you down to return "forgotten" money. South Korea is similar: not expected, not missed. In China, tipping is historically uncommon, though it's creeping into high-end hotels and tour services in tourist hubs. When in doubt anywhere in the region: don't tip, and never feel rude about it.

A few refinements for travelers. In Japan, the rare exceptions run through formality rather than loose cash: a traditional inn, a private guide, or a chartered driver may accept a gratuity presented in an envelope, and even then it is optional. Leaving notes on a restaurant table is more likely to cause confusion than delight. In South Korea, restaurant bills are frequently paid at the counter on the way out, which removes the moment where tipping would happen at all. Hong Kong is the regional outlier: a 10% service charge is commonly added at sit-down restaurants, and leaving the small change on top is a local habit. Taiwan follows a similar service-charge model at mid-range and upscale restaurants, with no additional tip expected.

Elsewhere in brief

Australia and New Zealand: not expected; round up or 10% for exceptional service. India: 5-10% at restaurants, but check for an included service charge first. The UAE and much of the Middle East: 10-15% where no service charge appears, though one often does. Brazil typically adds a 10% "serviço" to the bill automatically; paying it is standard, adding more is not expected. Southeast Asia varies widely: not customary in Vietnam or Thailand outside tourist zones, appreciated in the Philippines.

A wider sweep: Argentina and much of South America land around 10% in cash, since tips often cannot be added to a card payment. South Africa is one of the more tipping-oriented destinations outside North America, with 10-15% standard at restaurants and a small tip customary for the attendants who watch parked cars and fill petrol. Turkey runs about 5-10%, in cash and preferably in lira. In Egypt and Morocco, small tips for everyday help are a normal part of daily life, so carrying low-value notes for porters, guides, and attendants matters more than the restaurant percentage, which is often around 10% where no service charge appears. Caribbean resorts and cruise lines usually add a service charge or a daily gratuity to the bill; check that first, because staff there are frequently paid on the assumption that it will be collected.

Beyond restaurants: hotels, taxis, and guides

The restaurant norm is not the whole picture, and the gap between countries narrows once you step outside the dining room. In tipping cultures like the US, Canada, and much of Latin America and the Middle East, expect to tip porters per bag, housekeeping per night, and drivers roughly 10-15%. In no-tipping cultures such as Japan and South Korea, that all still applies in reverse: nothing is expected anywhere, including hotels and taxis, where drivers commonly round the fare down rather than up.

Europe sits between the two. Hotel porters and housekeeping are usually given small coins rather than a percentage, and taxi fares are rounded to a convenient number. Private tour guides and drivers are the one category that is tipped fairly consistently almost everywhere, because the work is personal and often arranged through international operators; a modest amount per person per day is the usual shape, and the tour company will tell you what is normal if you ask.

Before you travel: a short checklist

Five things to sort out before the first meal. One: look up whether your destination adds service to the bill by default, so you know what you are reading when the check arrives. Two: carry small denominations in local currency, because in most of the world a tip that cannot be added to a card is simply not left. Three: learn the one word on the bill that signals service is included in the local language. Four: ask your hotel's front desk or your host what they would leave; a local answer beats any table, including this one. Five: when nothing is clear, round up modestly and move on, which is polite almost everywhere and offensive almost nowhere except a handful of East Asian settings where no tip at all is the courteous choice.

The full reference table

Customs evolve, especially in tourist areas, and a hotel concierge or local host will always know the current norm. When you're unsure, a small round-up is almost always a safe, polite choice, and never tip on top of an already-included service charge unless you want to.

Common questions

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Customs are generalizations and change over time, especially in tourist areas. When local guidance differs from this table, trust the locals.