At coffee shops, bakeries, large retail shops and ride-shares, customers are being asked to tip at every turn.
“Tipflation” is increasingly common, as customers across the country and around the world report tipping percentages are creeping higher while retailers and small businesses struggle to recoup pandemic losses.
So you’ve been handed the payment terminal and are now left to wonder if and how much you should tip.
To help you know, here’s a look at what people are tipping locally and in other parts of the world:
Europe
Summary: It varies from country to country, but in general, tips aren’t really expected in most European countries.
In the Netherlands, businesses are required by law to include tipping in prices at all restaurants, pubs, cafés, nightclubs, sightseeing companies, hotels and similar establishments in their published prices.
However, leaving a tip, called a “fooi” in Dutch, is customary in places where you receive service, like bars and restaurants. It’s encouraged to round up to to the nearest $5 or $10 amount when paying for a taxi, even though tipping has also been included in your fare.
European restaurants will sometimes state whether a service charge has been included. If not specified, five or 10 per cent is a welcome bonus amount to acknowledge good service. Tipping generously at 15 or 20 per cent in Europe isn’t necessary and may actually be culturally ignorant.
Other European Union (EU) countries like the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Spain, and Sweden, generally add a service charge to the bill and tipping there, though uncustomary, would be an generous recognition of exceptional service.
Countries like Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom don’t have a strong tipping culture, so a smaller gratuity like five or 10 per cent or rounding up of the bill is sufficient.
In Rick Steves’ article on tipping etiquette in Europe he notes some popular tourist areas in Germany and Austria have included a “tip is not included” line in English at the bottom of the bill. “This is misleading, as the prices on any menu in these countries do include service,” says Steves.
In Austria, Italy, and Russia, while tipping there also isn’t common, people do generously round up on the bill because wages in the service industry tend to be low (Austria and Italy don’t have minimum wages). Touristy areas of Italy will include a “coperto” or a “cover charge” to the bill, but this money isn’t always shared with staff. So, as in most countries, tipping your server directly in cash is the best way to make sure they receive the gratuity.
Countries like Iceland are considered a no-tipping country, while in Scandinavian countries, the service charge typically included in your bill may go to the restaurant owner rather than your server, according to Steves. He suggests adding a five to 10 per cent tip for good service.
Middle East and Africa
Summary: Like most of North America, tipping is customary in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
A gratuity of 15 to 20 per cent in places like capital city Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates is a standard amount, despite a 10 per cent service charge already calculated into your bill. The 10 per cent charge, however, is split among all of the restaurant employees according to their job responsibilities, and isn’t considered a gratuity.
In African countries like Jordan, Morocco, and South Africa, it’s common to tip 10 to 15 per cent at sit-down restaurants. Places in Egypt and Israel that are popular tourist destinations will sometimes already include a service charge in the bill.
East Asia and the South Pacific
Summary: Most countries in this part of the world don’t have a tipping culture and don’t expect gratuity.
In China, Myanmar, Singapore, and Taipei, tipping is typically uncommon and in Asian countries like Japan and Nepal, tips are typically indicators of exceptional service. In Japan, some servers might even politely refuse your tip.
North America
Summary: Tipping is typically customary, but differences between countries do exist.
For most places in the U.S. and Canada, standard tipping at places that provide services will run you about 15 to 20 per cent.
Though some expressed concern after Ontario eliminated its liquor servers’ low wages, meaning servers will now see their base pay match minimum wage in Ontario, tipping culture remains embedded in diners’ customs.
So while complaints about “tipflation” continue to spike conversations on social media about tipping etiquette, it’s good to remember that it is still common practice for servers to have to “tip out” to other parts of the business, including the kitchen, bar, hosts, and the “house” or owners. The less they receive from a customer’s tip, the less they have to cover for their “tip out.”
In Quebec, tipping culture is slightly different, with tipping standards stretching higher than Ontario’s standard 15 per cent, and nearing 25 per cent to show appreciation for good service and food.
In provinces like Nova Scotia, locals tend to tip to match their provincial sales tax of 15 per cent.
In some places in Ontario, an automatic gratuity is sometimes applied to larger parties of six or more, and a 15 to 18 per cent “service charge” is added to the bill. Restaurants will typically let customers know prior to their seating, or print it somewhere visible on a menu.
Some establishments, like Toronto’s Richmond Station, have decided to scrap tipping altogether. The Toronto restaurant posted its decision on its website in July 2020 in the earlier days of the pandemic, telling customers it had done away with tipping and built in an 18 per cent average price increase into its menu items and calling it “Hospitality included.”
“We’re asking you not to tip on top of the bill total, and we will be removing these prompts from our payment terminals,” said Richmond Station.
The company said it began researching the decision to do away with the tipping model in 2016, and was inspired by New York restaurateur Danny Meyer in 2017 when his restaurant group began phasing out tipping.
It’s always good practice to do a little reading and researching of your own about the country you’re travelling to. The pandemic changed everything, and tipping in a country, while once considered a cultural faux pas and insulting, might now be a welcome token for someone who is still employed in a struggling service industry.
So when in doubt, just ask a local and follow their lead.
IM Ivy Mak is a team editor on the Star’s breaking news desk, based in Toronto. Reach her via email: [email protected]
DM Dorcas Marfo is a reporter for the Star’s radio room based in Toronto. Reach Dorcas via email: [email protected]
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