Tipping in the US and Canada is a cultural norm that is hard to understand for many who are visiting.

Tipping is the practice of giving money to someone in exchange for their service. It goes beyond the price of an item and is usually in response to good service as well as expectations.

The American tipping culture has been around since the 1800s and it’s still going strong today. It can be tricky, but we want to help you do it right! We’ve created this guide on how to tip people properly so that you never get caught off guard or embarrassed when someone leaves something generous at your table.

We hope this guide helps you when you need it!

 

Why do Americans tip everyone?

Because it’s a very common and expected practice in America, it began in the late 1800s, but it came from Europe! Americans wanted to be cool and sophisticated too. Thus, tipping became a common form of rewarding employees for quality work.

Today we tip for different reasons

We tip in restaurants because that is the bulk of how our waiters are paid. We tip valets, taxi drivers, hair stylists, etc for the same reason. Most of these people are paid way less than minimum wage as their tips put them over that amount.

The other reason we tip is that it would be rude not to!

What’s considered proper etiquette in the US? What do I need to know about tipping in the US?

In general, Americans will leave a “tip” (money) with almost every service someone provides them. This is because it is expected from good customer service.[the_ad id=”31113″]

How do you tip?

Tipping is so commonplace in the US and Canada that you can write your tip on your credit card receipt after paying for your meal. You can add it to your taxi or Uber driver after paying as well.

But you will never go wrong with a cash tip, either. Cash is handy for things like hairdressers, valets, housekeeping, etc.

You can hand the service provider the cash, or you can leave it under a cup at a restaurant or bar before leaving.

Who do you tip in the US and Canada?

Yes, we tip everyone — from the servers at restaurants to the beach attendant that cleans up after us. It can be tricky, but here’s our guide on who to tip and how much.

 

• Leave your waiter or waitress 15%-25% of the check at the end of your meal. (This can be in cash or added on to a credit slip.)

This is considered standard practice in most restaurants and bars. The exception to this rule is fast food or any restaurant where your order your meal before sitting down. There you don’t tip at all.

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• Bartenders are generally tipped a dollar or two per drink in cash.

Super busy nights will warrant a larger tip if the bartender isn’t bringing you drinks right away because their hands are full. The same can be said if they make complicated drinks or unique specialty cocktails.

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• Taxi drivers (Uber drivers) are tipped 15-20%, and you can add it to your fare by credit card or with cash.

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• Hairstylists/ Manicurists are always tipped between 15-20%, depending on how long their session was, what type of cut/style they gave you, and how you feel the experience was.

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• Makeup artists are usually tipped 10-15% at most salons. If they come to you, the tip is generally 20%.

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• Bellhops are generally paid $2 per bag they bring upstairs.

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• Housekeepers. If you’re staying at a hotel, tipping is not expected, but if you have housekeeping, tip them $2-5 per night. This varies widely depending on the type of hotel, the location of the hotel, and your own generosity. For example, if you are staying at a chain hotel in the Midwest, no one is expecting a tip. If you are staying at the Ritz Carlton in NYC, you should tip.

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• Valets are tipped every time you interact with them. $1-5 depending on the fanciness of the venue.

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• Delivery people are tipped as well. Generally 10%, but you can go up to 15% if they had to climb tons of stairs or carry a ton of food.

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• If you live in the US or Canada, you also tip your child care, your post deliverer, housekeepers, trash collectors, lawnmowers, etc., from time to time.

How do Americans remember all of this?

Quite frankly, we ask each other, check a post like this one, or guess in new situations. Tipping at restaurants is so natural that we don’t think about it twice.

How do Americans afford so much tipping?

We can afford to tip because for the most part, that is how we pay for services. Instead of a waiter’s wage being built into the price of a meal, we tip the waiter.

The same rule applies to all others that we tip. We are just paying for it differently than most of the world.

I know tipping can be a big pain and we always feel like we’re forgetting someone or not giving enough money.

If tipping makes you very uncomfortable, you can rent an Airbnb, a rental car and only order fast food! (I’m kidding!)

Tipping, like every new experience, is weird at first, but it becomes very natural very quickly.

 

Please also keep in mind that no one is expecting you to overtip just because you are visiting. Tip according to the list above, and you are doing great!

I hope that helps explain tipping a little better and helps relieve some of the stress of figuring out this unusual practice!