Is 20% the standard tip at restaurants?

18–20% is now the baseline expectation at full-service restaurants in the US for good service. 15% is increasingly seen as a below-average tip — though it was the standard as recently as 20 years ago. For exceptional service, 25% is common. Some diners tip 20% as a base and adjust down only for poor service, rather than starting at 15% and adjusting up.

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

Either is acceptable. Most diners tip on the post-tax total because the pre-tax calculation requires more mental arithmetic. On a $90 pre-tax bill with $8 tax, the difference between a 20% pre-tax tip ($18) and a 20% post-tax tip ($19.60) is small enough that most servers won't notice either way. Choose whichever is simpler for you.

General Guide

How Much to Tip: The Complete Tipping Guide for Every Situation

Updated May 2026 · 7 min read

Tipping customs have evolved significantly in the US over the past decade, and the unwritten rules vary more by context than most people realise. This guide covers current standards across the most common situations — no judgment, just honest information about what's expected and why.

Restaurants: Full-Service Dining

Excellent service: 25–30%
Good service: 20%
Acceptable service: 15–18%
Poor service (service-related, not kitchen): 10–15%

The key shift over the last 15 years: 20% is now the baseline for good service, not a reward for exceptional service. Many restaurants embed tips in suggested amounts on the payment terminal starting at 18%, 20%, and 25%. If a server provides attentive, warm service, 20% reflects that appropriately. Tipping below 15% communicates a problem worth mentioning to a manager.

One nuance: tip on the pre-tax amount if you prefer (it's slightly lower), but most people tip on the post-tax total simply because it's easier to read off the receipt. The difference on a $60 meal with 8% tax is about $1.

Bars and Cafés

Bar (cocktails, draft beer): $1–2 per drink or 15–20% of tab
Coffee shop / café (counter service): $0.50–$1 per drink, or 15–20% if ordering regularly and they remember your order
Takeout coffee (drive-through): Optional; $0.50–$1 appreciated

The "optional tip" question at café payment terminals has become a source of genuine social awkwardness. Counter service tipping is genuinely optional — but if you're a regular who benefits from good service and staff who know your order, periodic tipping is a reasonable way to acknowledge that.

Food Delivery

App delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.): 15–20% of order, minimum $3–5
Direct restaurant delivery: 15–20%, minimum $3

Delivery drivers typically receive the platform tip in full — though platform policies vary and have changed over the years. A flat minimum of $5 is a reasonable floor for any delivery under $25, since percentage-based tips on small orders can be too low to reflect the actual time and cost of the delivery.

Hotels

Housekeeping: $2–5 per night, left daily (staff rotates and day-specific tips ensure each person benefits)
Concierge (restaurant reservation, tickets): $5–10 for significant assistance
Bellhop / luggage assistance: $1–2 per bag
Valet parking: $2–5 when retrieving the car
Room service: 15–20% if not already added; check the receipt — many hotels include a service charge

Personal Services

Haircut: 15–20% of service cost
Colour/highlights: 15–20%
Massage therapy: 15–20%
Nail salon: 15–20%
Tattoo artist: 10–20%; a $200 tattoo might warrant a $30–40 tip for exceptional work

Transportation

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft): 15–20% (tip in the app; drivers rate passengers partly based on tip history)
Traditional taxi: 15–20%
Airport shuttle: $2–5 per person
Moving company: $20–50 per mover for a full-day move; more for difficult jobs

When It's Genuinely Okay Not to Tip

Counter service and fast food with no table service (McDonald's, Chipotle), self-serve buffets, government services, professional services where a fee is charged (doctors, lawyers, accountants), and business-to-business transactions are all situations where tipping is genuinely not expected and skipping carries no social cost.

The "tip screen" at checkout for retail purchases, self-checkout kiosks, and most online services falls into the "opt-out without guilt" category. These are design choices by businesses, not established social norms.

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Frequently Asked Questions

18–20% is now the baseline for good service at full-service restaurants in the US. 15% is increasingly seen as below average — though it was the standard 20 years ago. For exceptional service, 25% is common. Most diners start at 20% and adjust down only for genuinely poor service.

Either is acceptable — most people tip on the post-tax total because it's easier to read from the receipt. On a $90 pre-tax bill with $8 tax, the difference between 20% pre-tax and 20% post-tax is only $1.60, so choose whichever is simpler.

Tipping the owner of a business is generally considered optional — they set their own prices and typically take home more of the revenue than employed staff. That said, many salon owners actively encourage tipping and rely on it as part of their income. When in doubt, tip as you normally would and let the owner decline if they prefer not to accept.