Tipping etiquette by country: where to tip, how much and where not to

Tipping by country at a glance

The figures are customs, not rules, and they are given as percentages or in the local currency of each country. Where the official sources consulted give no figure, the cell shows a dash.

Do you tip in Japan?

As a rule, no. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) says it is not common to tip for services in bars, cafés, restaurants, taxis and hotels.

There is one custom to know: kokorozuke, a gratuity “from the heart”, given in some situations. JNTO's example is a private guide or interpreter accustomed to foreign customs, who may accept a tip as a thank-you. Even then, a tip is not expected and should be given discreetly. If you decide to give one, the custom is to put it in an envelope; JNTO notes that small cash envelopes are sold at convenience stores, stationery shops and 100-yen shops.

Where else is tipping not expected — and is it rude?

“Rude” is usually too strong a word. In the places below, official advice says a tip is not expected, not that it is an insult.

• South Korea: the Korea Tourism Organization says tipping is not required or expected in restaurants, and that most taxis charge by the meter and don't require tips.
• Mainland China: Beijing's official tourism site says tipping is generally not practised, though you should pay a little at some hotels and on organised tours. China's Tourism Law forbids tour guides and tour leaders from asking tourists for tips; a guide who does can be ordered to return the money and fined 1,000 to 10,000 yuan.
• Singapore: a US government guide for business travellers says tipping is not customary, because restaurants automatically add a 10% service charge and goods and services tax (GST) to the bill.
• Australia: Tourism Australia says hotels and restaurants don't add service charges and tipping is always your choice. In upmarket restaurants, 10% of the bill for good service is common.

How much to tip in the US and Canada

In the United States, a restaurant tip is part of the deal. The Emily Post Institute, a long-standing US etiquette authority, says that at a sit-down meal tipping is an expectation, not an option: leave at least 15% even if the service isn't good, and many people tip 15–20% for standard service. MIT's office for international students, which explains local customs to new arrivals, gives 15–20% of the pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants and US$1–2 per drink at bars. The Emily Post Institute's general tipping guide adds 15–20% of the fare for taxi drivers and US$2–5 a day for hotel housekeeping; MIT's guide gives 10% for taxis.

The reason is how staff are paid. Under federal law, employers may pay tipped workers a cash wage as low as US$2.13 an hour and count tips towards the US$7.25 federal minimum wage, according to the US Department of Labor. Some states set higher rates.

What people actually do: in a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 11,945 US adults, 92% of those who eat at sit-down restaurants said they always or often tip there. A majority said they would tip 15% or less for an average meal, and only a quarter would tip 20% or more. Fewer always or often tip for a taxi or rideshare trip (61%), and only 25% do so when buying a coffee.

Canada is close to the US. Destination Toronto calls 15–20% of the pre-tax bill a standard tip when you're happy with the service, and gives two figures for taxis on the same page: 10–15% in one section, 15–20% in another. Tourisme Montréal recommends 15% before taxes for waiters, taxi drivers and hairdressers. For large groups, some restaurants add the tip automatically.

Tipping in Europe: service included, small extras

In France, service is built into the price. Official rules say that when a price includes service, it must be shown as “prix service compris”, and every line of the bill must include taxes and service. France's tourism site says almost all restaurants include a 15% service charge in their prices; after a particularly good meal, leaving another 2–3%, or the small change when you pay in cash, is customary.

In the United Kingdom, VisitBritain says tipping is not expected the way it is in some countries, because all staff must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. Some restaurants add an optional service charge, noted on the bill, and you can choose whether to pay it. If nothing has been added and you're happy with the service, 10–15% is well received; when in doubt, 10% is always appreciated.

Italy's tourism site says tipping is not compulsory and there are no established rules, but leaving close to 10% is customary when you're satisfied. Spain's tourism site says tips are not obligatory, because establishments include the service charge, but they are common in bars, restaurants, hotels and taxis, usually 5–10% of the total.

In Germany, Berlin's tourism board gives two sets of figures. Its practical guide for business travellers says tipping is customary but entirely voluntary, with 5–10% considered standard. Its etiquette page says tips and VAT are already included in all prices but recommends a little extra if you were satisfied: 10–15% in restaurants, 10% for taxis, €2–3 per bag for porters and €2–3 a day for housekeeping.

Mexico and Brazil: tips and the 10% on the bill

In Mexico, a tip is voluntary. Profeco, the federal consumer protection agency, says no provider may demand a tip or set its amount, and it objects to tips added to the bill without the customer's consent, citing article 10 of the federal consumer protection law, which bans coercive commercial practices. In May 2026, a Profeco official, quoted by the Mexican newspaper Vanguardia, explained that the 10% many customers leave is a cultural habit, not a legal obligation.

In Brazil, the bill may include a service charge, usually 10%. A 2017 law (Lei 13.419) treats both the tip a customer gives and the amount a business charges as service as tips meant for the staff. The Brazilian consumer institute Idec says the charge is optional: you don't have to pay the 10%, and the percentage is only a suggestion, so you can choose the amount based on the service.

Is a service charge the same as a tip?

Not always. You decide whether to tip and how much. A service charge is added by the business, and whether you must pay it depends on the country.

• United States: the tax authority (IRS) says a payment is a tip only if the customer voluntarily decides to pay it and determines the amount. Mandatory charges, such as an automatic 18% for large parties, are service charges, not tips.
• United Kingdom: Acas, the public employment advisory service, says a service charge can be voluntary or compulsory, and that under the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 employers must pass tips and service charges on to workers without deductions, apart from normal tax. VisitBritain says an optional charge on a restaurant bill is your choice.
• France: service is part of the displayed price (“service compris”); a tip is extra and optional.
• India: since 2022, guidelines from the Central Consumer Protection Authority say hotels and restaurants may not add a service charge automatically or by default, must tell customers it is voluntary, and may not collect it under another name. The Delhi High Court upheld the guidelines in March 2025.
• Mexico and Brazil: a tip may not be imposed; a percentage suggested on the bill is optional.

Tipping taxis, hotels and tour guides

Taxis. The guides above range from 10% to 20% of the fare: 15–20% in the US according to the Emily Post Institute (10% in MIT's guide), 10–20% in Toronto, 15% in Montréal, 10–15% in France and 10% in Berlin. In the UK, rounding up to the nearest pound is customary. In South Korea, taxis don't require tips, and in Japan tipping taxi drivers is not common.

Hotels. Where porters are tipped, the guides suggest a small sum per bag in local currency, such as about €1.50 in France or about £2 in the UK; the table has each figure. Housekeeping gets US$2–5 a day in the US, CA$1–2 in Montréal, €1.50 in France and €2–3 in Berlin. In Australia, tipping in hotels is always your choice, and in Japan it is not common.

Tour guides. France's tourism site calls tipping guides and bus drivers after an excursion standard practice, generally €1.50–3. In Japan, a private guide used to foreign visitors may accept a tip, given discreetly in an envelope. In mainland China, guides are not allowed to ask for tips, although Beijing's tourism site says you should pay a little on organised tours.

Card terminals asking for a tip

Tip screens on card machines and tablets have spread, especially in North America. In the 2023 Pew survey, 72% of US adults said tipping is expected in more places than five years earlier, and more people opposed (40%) than favoured (24%) businesses suggesting tip amounts. In Montréal, the tourism board notes that coffee and food counters often have a tip cup or an option to add a tip when you pay by card.

A suggested amount is only a suggestion. The Emily Post Institute says you do not have to tip when you see a tip jar. The US tax authority goes further: for tax purposes, a screen that won't let you pay without choosing a tip above zero counts as a service charge, not a tip. Look for the “No tip” or “Custom” button, and decide based on the service you received rather than on the default.

In Germany, Berlin's tourism board says the tip is handed over in cash or mentioned before the card payment is processed.

Quick answers

Common questions, answered from the sources above.

• Do I tip on the amount before or after tax? In the US, MIT's guide uses the pre-tax bill; in Canada, Toronto and Montréal both say before tax.
• Is it rude not to tip? In the US, skipping a restaurant tip goes against etiquette: the Emily Post Institute says to leave at least 15% even for poor service and speak to the manager. In Japan, South Korea and mainland China, not tipping is the norm.
• Do I have to tip at a counter or a tip jar? Not necessarily. In the US, the Emily Post Institute says a tip jar is not an obligation.
• There's already a service charge. Do I tip on top? Read what the charge is first. In the UK, India, Mexico and Brazil, an optional charge or suggested tip can be declined or changed.