How much to tip in the US: restaurants, bars, cafés and delivery

At a sit-down restaurant in the US, the normal tip is 18 to 20 percent of the food and drink total before sales tax, more for excellent service and rarely less than 15 percent. At a bar, tip about $1 to $3 a drink. At a coffee counter or for takeout, a tip is appreciated but optional, and for delivery plan on roughly 15 to 20 percent with a few dollars as a floor.

Why is tipping so important in the US?

In much of the US, a server's tip is part of their pay rather than a bonus on top of it. Under federal law, an employer can pay a tipped worker a cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour and count the worker's tips toward the $7.25 federal minimum wage, a system called the tip credit. If tips fall short, the employer has to make up the difference, but in practice the tips are most of the paycheck. Many states and cities set higher wages for tipped workers, and some do not allow a tip credit at all, yet tipping customs are much the same across the country. That is why leaving nothing at a full-service restaurant reads as a complaint, not as a neutral choice.

How much should you tip at a sit-down restaurant?

The everyday range is 18 to 20 percent. Go higher for service that made the meal, and drop toward 15 percent only if service was genuinely poor. If something went wrong with the food, tell your server or a manager rather than cutting the tip, since the server usually did not cook it. At a buffet, where staff clear plates and refill drinks but do not take your order, a smaller tip is common.

Tax rates differ from place to place, so work out the tip from the pre-tax total on the check, not from the tax line.

Do you tip on the pre-tax or after-tax total?

Etiquette guides generally say to tip on the pre-tax amount, since sales tax goes to the government rather than the restaurant. Plenty of people tip on the final total anyway because it is easier, and nobody will think less of you for being slightly generous. Card terminals and tablets often calculate the suggested percentages on the after-tax total, so if you want to tip on the pre-tax figure, choose the custom tip option and enter your own amount.

How much do you tip at a bar?

For a beer, a glass of wine or a simple mixed drink, a dollar or two per drink is typical. For a complicated cocktail, or if you are running a tab, 15 to 20 percent of the tab is the usual guide. Tipping well on the first round tends to make the rest of the night go smoothly.

Do you tip at a café or for takeout?

At a coffee counter, a tip screen will often appear when you pay. A tip there is optional. A dollar or the change for a simple order, or more for a large or complicated one, is a kind gesture, and choosing no tip at a counter is not considered rude. For takeout from a restaurant, tipping is also optional: roughly 5 to 15 percent is a typical range for a routine order, and more if the order was large, complicated or brought out to your car.

How much should you tip for food delivery?

Delivery drivers depend heavily on tips. A common guide is 15 to 20 percent of the order, with a minimum of a few dollars for a small order. Tip more in bad weather, for long distances or for heavy orders. On delivery apps, check whether the tip goes to the driver and whether a separate service or delivery fee is already on the order. Those fees usually go to the app, not to the person bringing your food.

What is an automatic gratuity or service charge?

Some restaurants add a charge to every check, often labeled a service charge, and many add an automatic gratuity for large groups, commonly 18 to 20 percent for parties of six or eight or more. The IRS treats an automatic gratuity as a service charge rather than a tip, because the customer did not choose it. For you, the practical question is whether the charge replaces the tip. Read the check and the menu: if it says gratuity is included, you do not need to add the full tip again, though some people add a little extra for great service. If the charge is described as something else, such as a kitchen or health fee, ask your server whether it goes to the staff. Rules on how these fees must be shown vary by state and city, so check the menu before you order.

Who else do you tip when eating out?

• Coat check: a small tip per item.
• Valet parking: a tip when your car is brought back.
• Sommelier: usually included in your tip on the wine, unless they gave a lot of help.
• Host who found you a table on a busy night: optional, and not expected in most places.

Is tipping different in different cities?

The percentages are broadly the same in big cities and small towns. What changes is the sales tax, the fees that appear on checks, and how often you see service charges, which are more common in some cities than others. Wherever you are, read the menu footnotes and the check before you add a tip. When you find a place where the service was worth every cent, Mosey lets you rate it and the dishes you ordered, with photos, so friends know where to go.

More guides to read next:

• How to tell a good restaurant from a tourist trap in the US
• How restaurant reservations, deposits and cancellation fees work in the US
• How to split the check at a US restaurant

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.