If service is top-notch, sometimes an extra $150 really is warranted.
Tipping is a standard practice here in the U.S. — so much so that it's second nature to most consumers. However, many still see tips as something extra, meant to be doled out based on how well someone does their job.
If you're always racking your brain about how much to tip, we're here to help. We've compiled a list of the most common situations where tipping is expected, and the standard tip amount for each one. Note that we aren't saying these tips are required — you're free to tip or not tip as you prefer. This list is meant to provide general guidance.
SEE ALSO: Are Tips Going Up?
What Is a Good Tip?
The standard number for a good tip varies from service to service. In general, a solid amount is about 18% of your bill. This falls in the middle of most recommended ranges, and should be an acceptable amount for practically any service.
How Much to Tip for the Most Common Services
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Standard Tip
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Other Details
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$5 to $10
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It's good to show your appreciation, but if the tow bill is high (or you can't afford to), it's okay not to tip
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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Other Details
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15%
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20%
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It's best to tip the shuttle driver as you would a cabbie
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$5 per job
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$10 per job
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When to Tip
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Holiday Tipping
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When the job is complete
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$75 to $150 before Thanksgiving, or between Thanksgiving and Christmas
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$10 per person
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$20 per person
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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10%
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15%
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Holiday Tipping
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Other Details
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One week's pay, gifted before the holidays
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Exceptional service includes things like:
Cooking actual dinner
Cleanup that has nothing to do with the kids
Picking up kids at a play date or other event
Doing a big activity with kids
Dealing with a sick or difficult child
Accepting a last-minute booking
Staying later than planned
Other unforeseen circumstances
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$1 per drink or 15% of total bill
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Before, if you want better service
After, if you don't care
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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50 cents minimum
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$2 to $3 per service
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Other Details
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Tip at least 50 cents if they hand you a paper towel
Tip at least $2 to $3 for services like mending hems or polishing shoes
Note that tipping isn't always allowed
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$1 to $2 per bag
$5 minimum
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When they deliver your bags to your room
When they pick your bags up
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$1 to $2
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Only if they handle your luggage
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$20
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When the job is complete
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$2 to $3 for basic wipe down
$5 to $10 for more complicated washes
15% for detailing
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When the job is complete
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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10%
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Tip if your order is:
Delivered curbside
Complicated
Large
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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15% to 20% of total bill, or
$50 per server
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When paying the final bill, or when the event is over
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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10%
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15%
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$1 per coat
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When dropping off
If you're feeling generous, tip an extra $2 to $5 when you pick up
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$5
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$20
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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When you receive the service
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If they only provide directions, it's okay to tip very little or nothing at all
If they do something exceptional, err on the larger side and tip $20
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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15%
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20%
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When to Tip
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Holiday Tipping
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When you pick up your pet
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$10 to $100, depending on the frequency of your visits throughout the year
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When to Tip
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Holiday Tipping
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Around the holidays
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Gift a bottle of wine or box of chocolates
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Standard Tip
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Other Details
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$3 to $5, depending on the size of the wash
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Consider tipping during both pickup and delivery if the people are different
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$1 to $5
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These employees are picking you up. You tip cab drivers, why not these drivers? Since most aren't expecting a tip, it'll be a pleasant surprise.
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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Extra change
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$2
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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When paying
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Tip jars are usually divvied up among staff, so remember you're tipping the whole team and not just the person that handed you your order
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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Small tip, $2 to $5
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When paying for delivery
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Other Details
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It's not customary to tip for flower delivery. If you don't want your recipient to feel obligated to tip, go ahead and add a little on when paying for the delivery. Alternatively, you might want to tip if the delivery person will have to navigate several stairs, deliver in bad weather, or something similar.
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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10% or $2 minimum
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When you're paying online or when the food is delivered
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$5 per person
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$20 per person
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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When the job is complete
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Also feel free to offer cold drinks if it was a heavy or tough delivery
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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$15
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$25
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Around the holidays
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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One week's pay if they visit regularly
Otherwise, $20 to $50
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Around the holidays, or
At the end of a growing season
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Tip in cash and include a sincere note of thanks. If you prefer not to give money, gifts are acceptable in the price range of $20 to $50.
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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10% to 15%
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15% to 20%
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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After the service is completed
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Tip everyone involved. If you have different people washing and drying your hair, they should each receive $5. The person doing most of the work should receive the biggest tip.
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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One week's pay
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Around the holidays
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$2 per night
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$5 per night
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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Daily
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Different people could be cleaning your room every day. Be sure to tip daily to show your appreciation to the whole team.
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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$15
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$25
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Around the holidays
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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$10
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$20
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At the end of the night
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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$2 to $3
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When you pick up your laundry
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Although it's not required, tipping is still a nice gesture, especially if they've gone above and beyond. Tip for stain removal, small repairs, or if the load is particularly large.
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$15
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$20
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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Around the holidays
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Tipping with non-cash gifts up to $20 is also acceptable
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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$5
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$25
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For special efforts
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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15%
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25%
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At the end of service
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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15%
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20%
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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10% to 15%
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20%
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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Other Details
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$10 per person
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$25 per person
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If it's a particularly tough move, consider supplying cold drinks and lunch as well
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$15 per person
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$20 per person
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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After the ceremony, reception, or other event
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It's not necessarily expected, but it's a nice gesture to tip each musician these amounts
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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One week's pay
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Around the holidays
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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$15
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$25
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Around the holidays
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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Other Details
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$5
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$10
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This is meant to be a little extra gift for those hauling heavy packages to your door. Consider tipping more if they had to climb several stairs or if it's extremely hot outside.
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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$15
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$25
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Around the holidays
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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$10
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When they assist with loading a heavy item into your car
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$2
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$5
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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When your vehicle is retrieved
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It's also been suggested to tip when dropping your vehicle off
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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When to Tip
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$20
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$50
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Around the holidays (but tip discreetly)
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$10 for smaller jobs
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10% of total job
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$1 per bag
$2 per heavy item
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$2 per bag if they bring your luggage to the counter
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Standard Tip
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Other Details
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$5 minimum
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You don't have to include a tip if gratuity is added onto the check
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$2
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$3
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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15%
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20%
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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15% to 20% of your fare
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After your ride ends
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Standard Tip
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When to Tip
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10% to 20% of the total tour cost
$1 per person when drivers double as guides
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It's acceptable to not tip tour guides at national parks and other government sites
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Other Details
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For particularly amiable drivers, passengers might be asked to contribute $1 per person. If the tour is longer and has no built-in gratuity, passengers should each contribute $5 to $10 to the guide, and another $5 to $10 to the driver.
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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$1 to $2 per person for shorter rides
10%
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20%
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When to Tip
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Other Details
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At the end of the ride
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Tip extra for things like:
Traffic
Construction
Other inconveniences
Distance
If driver helps with luggage or packages
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Standard Tip
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Exceptional Service Tip
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15% for adequate service
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20%
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General Tips for Tipping
- Calculate the tip amount based on the total amount — not any discounts or gift certificates you're using.
- Tip above the normal amount for exceptional service, if you're a regular client, or if you've been a bother.
- It's okay not to tip if it's not deserved. Poor service shouldn't be rewarded. (The service would have to be awful, though. Even mediocre service deserves a tip of some kind.)
- Tip extra if you take up a restaurant table for a long time.
- Tip discreetly.
- Note that overtipping too often can set a precedent.
- When in doubt, tip at least a little something.
Readers, what tipping practices do you follow? Is there a service we forgot? Let us know in the comments below.
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The party next to us gets no appetizer or dessert, drinks water, and orders the chicken, all the while asking for more bread, complaining about the food and in general causing more work and tasking the server.
I'm expected to tip 20% for a $400+ check and the chicken eaters are out
15% for a $50 meal, and they cause more work for the servers than I did.
Not fair in my opinion but I still tip 20% or more every time. LOL
I am a lawyer, and my plumber makes more per hour than I do.
Here's the bottom line for Julie and others who write pieces like this: I've never had anybody dying to tip me in my life. If people were constantly tipping me for almost nothing, I guess I'd be more willing to be open. If people don't like me refusing to tip for everything under the sun, hey, just let me know and I'll make sure to avoid doing ANY business with you or the company who employs you.
As for the person who mentioned tipping with cash,cash is not required for tipping.you can use your debit or credit card to tip too.
We compiled these tables based on references from several reliable resources, and we linked to each of them in their applicable sections. As always though, tipping is up to each individual person, and if they don't feel like tipping in a given situation, we certainly aren't saying they should be forced to. This is simply meant to be a guideline for anyone who wants to provide a little extra in these situations.
BTW, why are we even paying tips anyway? This should be the payroll expense of the employers, not the customers. For example: If you work in a restaurant, the waitstaff's salary should be the responsibility of the owner, right? Why are your employees relying on handouts from the customers? Restaurant owners have to absorb all that cost because when they are profitable, they get all the rewards. They do not pass any of their profit down to the staff. But the waitstaff are decreasing the owner's payroll expense by expecting the customers to make up the difference in tips. No one else in the world tips except the US.
People who specialize in wine selection are called sommeliers. In fine dining, their job is much more complicated than simply offering wines to patrons; higher-ranking somms are often in charge of maintaining a restaurant's wine selection -- usually they'll have the entire inventory memorized. Although they're involved in "front of the house" work (facetime with customers), their job is more akin to a Chef de Partie; the wines are their kingdom to run with input from restaurant owners and the Chef de Cuisine. Master Sommeliers can make upwards of $150k per year, but you're unlikely to run into one of those in the US.
Lower-tier sommeliers generally receive a cut of all tips, but it's acceptable to offer a talented somm a glass of wine from a bottle you've purchased. (It's a fancier version of sharing a shot with your favorite bartender.) Alternatively, you can discreetly offer a tip -- but again, this might be considered rude if you're in a fine dining situation.
Sometimes there is additional help involved, with the waiter helping us select a wine and often bringing samples of three or four to taste. We've experienced this more in Canadian restaurants - we visit Montreal every summer, enjoy upscale tapas restaurants and wine bars, and the service is almost always better than at home in Connecticut. Often, they'll open a bottle just for us to taste, willing to sell it by the glass to other patrons if we don't care for it. They really know how to treat diners and accordingly, we tip very well in such cases.
What angers me are situations where customers are threatened with bad services if tip isn't "adequate".
I think that package one is at your discretion... again, these are meant to be guidelines for when you're driven to tip. I wouldn't tip for a regular package delivery, but I might for something heavy or specially-arranged.
Wow, that is something i have never done or even thought of.
Ooooh, that's a good question. I personally don't tip unless there was something special they did for me, but I'm curious what others think?
I feel tipping in many situations causes some companies to not offer a fair wage to their employees. This causes employees to depend on tips (which highly fluctuate) and companies to pocket the difference or be overly competitive in price compared to other companies where tips are not as expected.