Math & Tips

What Is a Good Tip Percentage? The Complete 2026 Tipping Guide

Q: What is a standard tip at a restaurant in the US?

The current standard in the US is 18–20% for good service at a sit-down restaurant. 15% is considered the minimum for acceptable service. 25% or more is appropriate for exceptional service. Tipping below 15% is generally seen as a message of dissatisfaction.

Q: Should you tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?

Tipping on the pre-tax amount is technically correct and what most etiquette guides recommend. However, the difference is small (typically a dollar or two) and many people tip on the total bill for simplicity. Either is widely accepted.

Q: Is it rude not to tip at a restaurant in the US?

In the US, not tipping at a sit-down restaurant is generally considered rude, as servers typically earn below minimum wage and rely on tips as their primary income. However, tipping culture varies globally — in many countries, tipping is not expected or customary.

Updated April 2026 · 6 min read · By Alex Doyle

You finish dinner, the bill arrives, and then you're staring at a payment terminal showing buttons for 18%, 22%, 25%, and "Custom" in a slightly smaller font, as if "custom" means something shameful. Tipping etiquette has shifted fast in recent years — higher default prompts, tip screens at counters that have never asked before, delivery apps defaulting to 20%. If you're not sure what's genuinely expected anymore, this guide covers exactly that, broken down by service type.

Two people paying at a restaurant with card for tipping

Quick Reference: Standard Tip Percentages by Service (US)

Service	Minimum	Standard	Excellent
Sit-down restaurant (server)	15%	18–20%	25%+
Bar / bartender	$1/drink	15–20%	20–25%
Food delivery (app)	10%	15–20%	25%+
Takeout / counter service	0%	10–15%	15–20%
Taxi / rideshare	10%	15–20%	20–25%
Hair / salon services	15%	20%	25%+
Hotel housekeeping	$1–2/night	$3–5/night	$5+/night
Hotel concierge / bellhop	$1–2/task	$3–5	$5–10
Spa / massage	15%	20%	25%
Food truck / casual counter	0%	10%	15%
Coffee shop (barista)	0%	$0.50–$1	15–20%

Person at cash payment terminal calculating tip percentage

Why 20% Has Become the New Standard

Through most of the 20th century, 15% was the standard restaurant tip in the United States. The shift to 18–20% as the baseline happened gradually through the 2010s. Several factors drove this:

Inflation: The real value of a fixed percentage tip declines as labour costs rise, pushing expected percentages upward.
Wage structures: In most US states, servers can legally be paid below minimum wage with the expectation that tips make up the difference. The federal tipped minimum wage has remained at $2.13/hour since 1991 (though many states have higher floors).
Digital default prompts: Payment terminals that default to 18%, 20%, and 25% have normalised higher starting points — the "skip" option feels like an explicit refusal.

The practical rule: 15% says "service was acceptable." 20% says "good service, thank you." 25%+ says "you made this experience special." Anything below 10% at a sit-down restaurant reads as a statement of dissatisfaction rather than a tip.

Should You Tip on the Pre-Tax or Post-Tax Amount?

Technically, the etiquette guides recommend tipping on the pre-tax subtotal. The reasoning: the waiter didn't provide the tax, so why reward them for it?

In practice, the difference is small. On a $60 bill with 8% tax ($4.80), the difference between tipping on $60 vs. $64.80 at 20% is about $0.96. Most people tip on the total for simplicity, and most servers don't care which you use — the dollar difference is negligible.

How to Split the Tip When Paying as a Group

When splitting a bill, there are two common approaches:

Tip on the full bill first, then split: Add 18–20% to the total bill, then divide equally. This is simpler and often results in a slightly larger tip for the server (accounting for the work of managing a group).
Each person tips on their portion: More precise but harder to calculate. Use our tip calculator for quick per-person amounts.

Person holding digital payment device showing tip screen prompt

The Rise of "Tip Creep": When Is Tipping Expected Now?

Tip prompts now appear in places that were tip-free as recently as five years ago: self-checkout kiosks, coffee shop drive-throughs, online ticket purchases, and retail checkouts. This expansion of tipping culture has created genuine confusion about what's obligatory vs. optional.

Here's a simple framework:

Personal service provided: Tipping is appropriate and appreciated (haircuts, massages, food delivery).
Counter or self-service: Tipping is optional — a kind gesture but not an obligation (coffee, fast food, retail).
Automated or no human interaction: No expectation to tip (self-checkout machines, vending).

International Tipping: Where Not to Tip

Tipping norms vary enormously by country. What's polite in New York can be confusing or even insulting in Tokyo.

Country / Region	Restaurant Tip	Notes
USA	18–20%	Expected; servers rely on tips
Canada	15–20%	Similar to US
UK	10–15%	Optional; check if service charge included
Australia	0–10%	Not expected; minimum wage is high
Japan	0%	Can be seen as rude — service is included
South Korea	0%	Not customary
France	5–10%	Service charge ("service compris") often included
Germany	5–10%	Round up the bill; discretionary
Mexico	10–15%	Expected at sit-down restaurants

Always check whether a service charge has already been added to your bill — some UK and European restaurants include 12.5% automatically. Tipping on top of a mandatory service charge is entirely optional.

Calculate the exact tip, total, and per-person split in seconds.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a standard tip at a restaurant in the US?

18–20% is the current standard for good service. 15% is the minimum for acceptable service. 25%+ is for exceptional service. Tipping below 10% at a sit-down restaurant is generally seen as a signal of dissatisfaction.

Should you tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?

Etiquette guides recommend tipping on the pre-tax subtotal. In practice, most people tip on the total bill for simplicity — the dollar difference is small and either approach is widely accepted.

Is it rude not to tip in the US?

At a sit-down restaurant, yes — servers typically earn below minimum wage and rely on tips as their primary income. For counter service and takeout, tipping is appreciated but not obligatory.

How much should you tip for food delivery?

15–20% is standard for delivery drivers, with a minimum of $3–5 for small orders. Tip more for bad weather, difficult access, or particularly large orders. Delivery apps sometimes keep a portion of the tip — some show whether it goes to the driver.