Tipping in the United States is genuinely confusing, and not because people are bad at arithmetic. The percentages have drifted upward over time, payment terminals now suggest numbers that used to be considered generous, and an increasing number of bills arrive with a service charge already applied. This guide gives the current norms, the reasoning behind them, and clear answers to the situations that actually cause hesitation.
The short version
| Service | Standard tip |
|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 18–20% (15% adequate, 25% exceptional) |
| Bar, per drink | $1–$2, or 15–20% on a tab |
| Food delivery | 15–20%, minimum $3–$5 |
| Taxi and rideshare | 15–20% |
| Hair stylist or barber | 15–20% |
| Spa and massage | 15–20% |
| Hotel housekeeping | $2–$5 per night |
| Hotel bellhop | $1–$2 per bag |
| Coffee shop / counter service | Optional; round up or 10% |
| Tour guide | 10–15% |
| Movers | $20–$40 per mover for a full day |
Why restaurants sit at 18–20%
The restaurant number is higher than most other services for a structural reason: the federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 per hour, unchanged since 1991. Employers are required to make up the difference if tips do not bring a worker to the standard minimum wage, but in practice tipped restaurant staff derive the large majority of their income from tips rather than base pay.
Some states have abolished the tipped minimum entirely and require the full state minimum wage before tips — California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Minnesota and Alaska among them. Tipping norms have not really dropped in those states, but it is useful context for why the expectation is what it is.
Pre-tax or post-tax?
Either is fine. Tipping on the pre-tax subtotal is more logically defensible, since sales tax is not part of the service you received. Most people tip on the total because it is faster, and the difference is genuinely small. On a $60 pre-tax bill with 8% sales tax, 20% of the subtotal is $12 and 20% of the post-tax total is $12.96 — a gap of 96 cents.
If you want the precise figure either way, the tip calculator works from whichever number you enter.
The situations that actually cause hesitation
A service charge is already on the bill
Read the wording carefully, because two different things get printed in the same place:
- “Gratuity included” or “automatic gratuity” — usually 18–20%, commonly applied to parties of six or more. This is the tip. No further tipping is expected, though an extra 5% is a normal gesture for genuinely outstanding service.
- “Service charge” or “administrative fee” — legally distinct from a gratuity. It belongs to the business, and depending on the restaurant it may or may not reach the staff who served you. If it is not clear, it is entirely reasonable to ask.
Double-tipping on top of an included gratuity is common and usually accidental — the payment terminal presents tip options regardless of what is already on the bill.
The terminal suggests 25%, 30%, 35%
Suggested amounts on a payment screen are set by the merchant or the payment provider, not by any standard. They have crept upward, and they are frequently calculated on the post-tax total. You are under no obligation to accept a preset. Choosing “custom” and entering 18% is not rude.
Delivery, where the percentage breaks down
Percentage tipping fails on small orders. A 20% tip on a $12 order is $2.40 for a driver who used their own vehicle and fuel to reach you. This is why the convention includes a floor: 15–20%, but not less than $3–$5, and more in bad weather or for a long distance.
Note also that a delivery fee is almost never a tip. On most platforms it goes to the company. The same applies to “service fees” and “small order fees”.
Counter service and the tip jar
Tipping for a transaction that involved no table service is optional, and norms vary widely by region and establishment. Rounding up, or 10%, is a common middle ground. Declining to tip for a plain drip coffee handed across a counter is not a faux pas.
Doing the arithmetic in your head
You rarely need a precise number, and two shortcuts cover almost every case.
For 20%: move the decimal one place left to get 10%, then double it. A $47.50 bill gives $4.75, so the tip is $9.50.
For 15%: take that same 10% figure and add half of it. $4.75 plus $2.38 is about $7.13.
For 18%: take 20% and subtract a tenth of it. $9.50 minus $0.95 is $8.55.
If percentages in general are the sticking point rather than tipping specifically, the percentage calculator handles the three common forms of the problem.
Splitting a bill with a group
The fairest and fastest method is to add the tip to the bill first, then divide the combined total by the number of people. Splitting the bill and the tip as two separate operations gives the same answer but takes twice as long and invites arithmetic disputes.
Where people ordered very differently, splitting evenly can feel unfair to whoever had a salad and a water. Two workable conventions: split evenly and accept the rounding, or have each person cover their own items plus the same tip percentage. The split bill calculator supports both.
Tipping outside the United States
US norms travel badly. In Japan tipping can be actively unwelcome and is sometimes refused. Across much of continental Europe service is included by law and rounding up the bill or leaving 5–10% is generous. In the UK, 10–12.5% is standard and frequently added automatically. In Australia and New Zealand tipping is genuinely optional because hospitality wages are much higher.
The general rule when travelling: tipping expectations are highest where base wages for service staff are lowest. Checking local norms before you arrive avoids both under-tipping and the awkwardness of pressing money on someone who does not want it.
A note on the numbers in this guide
These are conventions, not rules, and they vary by city, by establishment, and over time. Nobody is going to audit you. The purpose of knowing the standard figure is simply to stop having to think about it — pick your default, apply it, and move on.