Tipping Around the World, What Is Expected and What Is Not
Tipping customs vary enormously around the world. What is expected in the US can be considered rude in Japan. This guide covers the real expectations in eight countries and regions so you always know what is appropriate.
Tipping is expected in restaurants, taxis, salons, and food delivery. Digital payment terminals now prompt for tips at counter service too. The social expectation in sit-down dining is strong.
The strongest tipping culture in the world. Many service workers earn below minimum wage on the assumption tips make up the difference. Leaving nothing is a deliberate statement.
Appreciated but not mandatory. Check if a service charge is already included before adding more. Tipping at the pub bar is not expected, though buying the bartender a drink is common.
All workers earn a full minimum wage, so tipping is truly optional. Rounding up or leaving 10% for good service is appreciated. No one will make you feel uncomfortable for not tipping.
Tipping is considered rude in Japan. Excellent service is simply part of the job. If you leave money on the table, staff may run after you thinking you forgot it.
Varies by country. France and Germany: round up. Spain and Italy: small amount welcomed but not expected. Scandinavia: service charge usually included, tipping rare.
Southeast Asia and the Middle East
In many parts of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, tipping is welcomed and appreciated particularly in tourist areas, though the amounts expected are much lower than in North America. Leaving the equivalent of a dollar or two for a meal is appreciated and meaningful. In the Middle East, tipping is common in restaurants and hotels, particularly in tourist-facing businesses in countries like the UAE and Egypt, where service workers often rely on tips as part of their income.
A simple rule for travelling
When you are unsure, observe what locals do. If you are eating at a local restaurant and the people around you are not leaving cash on the table, that tells you something. If your hotel has a tip envelope in the room, that tells you something too. When in doubt, a small gesture of appreciation is rarely wrong, but forcing a tip on someone who finds it uncomfortable is worse than leaving nothing at all.