How Much to Tip: A 2025 Guide to Tipping Etiquette

Stop Guessing About Gratuity! Your No-Stress Tipping Chart for Restaurants, Salons, Delivery, and More

We’ve all been there. You’re at a coffee shop or grabbing a quick lunch, and the employee swivels a tablet around to face you. Suddenly, you’re staring at three giant buttons: 18%, 20%, 25%. A wave of low-grade panic sets in. Am I a cheapskate for hitting 18%? Is 20% the new normal for a muffin they just handed me? This whole tipping thing has gotten confusing, stressful, and it feels like it’s costing us more than ever. The good news is you’re not imagining it. A 2023 Pew Research survey found that 72% of Americans feel pressured to tip in more places than they did just five years ago. This guide is here to cut through that anxiety, give you clear answers, and show you exactly

I’ll never forget the first time I saw an 18% “autogratuity” on a bill for a big group dinner. I didn’t know what it was and almost added another 20% on top because the credit card slip still had a tip line. I came dangerously close to leaving a 38% tip on a pricey meal! That’s when I realized that not understanding modern tipping etiquette was costing me real money every month. This isn’t about being stingy; it’s about being intentional. Let’s break down the rules so you can tip with confidence and keep more of your hard-earned cash.

With more businesses using digital payment tablets knowing when and how much to tip on screen is essential for everyday transactions

Your Quick-Reference Tipping Cheat Sheet: The Only Chart You’ll Ever Need

Save this page. Bookmark it. Screenshot it. This is your go-to guide for virtually any tipping situation you’ll encounter. We’ve sifted through the advice from etiquette experts and industry insiders to create one simple, reliable chart.

Dining & Drinks	Sit-Down Restaurant Server	15-25% (20% is the new standard for good service)	Tip on the pre-tax bill total. For exceptional service, feel free to go higher.
	Bartender	$1-2 per drink, or 15-20% of the bar tab	For complex cocktails, lean toward 20%. For a simple beer or wine, $1 is fine.
	Barista (Coffee Shop)	Optional; $1-2 or 10-15% is appreciated	Not required for a simple drip coffee, but a nice gesture if they make a custom latte or you’re a regular.
	Takeout (Restaurant Pickup)	Optional; 5-10% is a nice gesture	Not expected like dine-in, but appreciated for large/complex orders or curbside service.
	Food/Grocery Delivery Driver	15-20% or a minimum of $5	Tip more for bad weather, large orders, or difficult deliveries (e.g., walk-up apartments). This is not optional.
Travel & Hospitality	Hotel Housekeeping	$3-5 per night (more for luxury hotels)	Leave cash daily, as staff can change. Place it in a marked envelope or on a desk, not the nightstand.
	Bellhop / Porter	$2 per bag ($5 minimum)	Have small bills ready upon arrival. Tip more for exceptionally heavy luggage.
	Valet	$2-5	Tip when you retrieve your car, not when you drop it off.
	Rideshare / Taxi Driver	15-20% of the fare	Most apps prompt for a tip. This is standard practice.
	Hotel Concierge	$5-20+	No tip needed for simple directions. Tip if they secure reservations, tickets, or perform a special service.
Personal Care	Hair Stylist / Barber	20%	This is a firm standard. Also, consider tipping the person who shampoos your hair $3-5.
	Nail Technician	20%	Same standard as for hair services.
	Massage Therapist / Spa	15-20%	Check if gratuity is already included, especially at all-inclusive resorts or spas.
At Home & Delivery	Movers	15-20% of the total cost, divided among the crew	Tip at the end of the job. Providing water/lunch is also a great gesture.
	Furniture/Appliance Delivery	$10-20 per person	Not always expected, but a good gesture, especially for complex installations or carrying up stairs.
	House Cleaner	15-20%	If you use a regular service, a larger end-of-year tip is also common instead of tipping each time.
	Plumber / Electrician	Not expected	These professionals set their own rates. A positive review is highly valued.

A common scenario ensuring your hair stylist is fairly compensated for their skill and service This moment highlights the standard 20 tip in personal care

Navigating Today’s Tricky Tipping Traps

Knowing the percentages is only half the battle. The real money-saving skill is learning to spot the new “tipping traps” that have become common.

Takeout vs. Delivery: Why They Aren’t the Same Thing

This is one of the most confusing areas. Should you tip for food you pick up yourself? The answer is: it’s different from delivery. For a standard takeout order, a tip is a nice gesture but generally optional. If you do tip, 5-10% is plenty to show appreciation for the staff who packaged your order.

Delivery is a completely different service. The person bringing food to your door is often an independent contractor using their own car, gas, and time. For app-based services like DoorDash or Uber Eats, drivers rely heavily on tips, which can make up over 50% of their total earnings. For delivery, a tip of 15-20% (or a minimum of $5) is expected. Think of it this way: for takeout, you’re thanking the kitchen staff; for delivery, you’re paying the driver for their personal delivery service.

Decoding Your Bill: How to Spot “Service Charges” and Avoid Tipping Twice

Here’s a tip that could save you big bucks, especially when dining with a group. Always, always scan your itemized receipt before you pay. Look for words like “service charge,” “autogratuity,” “gratuity,” or “grat.”. Many restaurants automatically add a fee of 18% or more for large parties.

Here’s the trap: This “service charge” is legally the property of the restaurant, not a direct tip to your server. However, the payment terminal will still prompt you to add a tip. Unsuspecting diners often add another 20% on top, accidentally paying a massive 38% gratuity. If you see a service charge on your bill, you are not obligated to tip further. If the service was fantastic, you can add a few extra dollars, but the main “tip” is already included.

The Tablet Swivel: Conquering Counter-Service “Tip Creep”

That awkward moment when a tablet is flipped around for a transaction that took 30 seconds is a modern phenomenon called “tip creep.” Payment technology has made it easy for every business to ask for a tip, creating social pressure to pay for minimal service. You feel the employee’s eyes on you, and you don’t want to look cheap, so you reluctantly tap the 18% button for a single cookie.

Here’s your permission slip: you don’t have to. For counter service where you order and pay at the same time, tipping is not required. It’s perfectly acceptable to hit “No Tip” or use the “Custom” button to leave a dollar. A good rule of thumb: if there was no dedicated server and the interaction was brief, a tip is a kind gesture, not an obligation.

When Service is Bad: A Graceful (and Frugal) Approach

Everyone has a bad dining experience eventually. But what’s the right way to handle the tip? Simply leaving nothing can be misinterpreted as you just being cheap or forgetting. A better way to send a clear message is to tip a deliberately low amount, like 10%. This signals that you were unhappy with the service provided.

However, the most effective approach is to speak up. Before you pay, politely and briefly mention the issue to a manager. This gives the restaurant a chance to fix the problem and ensures your server isn’t penalized for something that might have been the kitchen’s fault. Reserve a zero tip for only the most disastrous service imaginable.

A common scenario ensuring your hair stylist is fairly compensated for their skill and service This moment highlights the standard 20 tip in personal care

Why Is Tipping So Weird in America, Anyway? A 60-Second History

If you’ve ever wondered why tipping feels so mandatory and intense in the U.S. compared to other countries, you’re not wrong. Our system has a unique and complicated history that explains a lot about why we tip the way we do.

It Was an Import: Tipping wasn’t common in the U.S. before the Civil War. Wealthy Americans traveling in Europe brought the aristocratic custom back in the mid-1800s to seem more sophisticated.
A Post-Slavery Wage Strategy: The practice became widespread after the Civil War. Industries like the Pullman railroad car company hired newly emancipated Black workers but paid them almost nothing, forcing them to rely on customer tips to survive. It was a way for employers to get labor while shifting the cost of wages directly to the consumer.
The $2.13 Legacy: This history led to the creation of the federal “tipped minimum wage.” Since 1991, the federal minimum wage for tipped workers like servers and bartenders has been just $2.13 per hour. While employers must make up the difference if tips don’t bring an employee to the regular minimum wage, this system solidifies the server’s reliance on gratuities as their primary income, not a bonus.

Tip with Confidence and Keep More of Your Money

Tipping doesn’t have to be a source of anxiety or a drain on your budget. Understanding how much to tip is about finding the sweet spot between being a good patron and a smart consumer. By internalizing a few key rules, you can navigate any situation without stress.

Remember the three most important money-saving takeaways:

Use the chart to tip the right amount for the specific service. 20% is the new standard for good service in many places, but it’s not universal.
Always check your itemized bill for hidden “service charges” to avoid the costly mistake of double-tipping.
Feel confident hitting “No Tip” or “Custom” on those counter-service tablets. It’s okay to opt out when the service is minimal.

Now you’re equipped to handle any tipping situation with confidence—saving you stress, and money, every single month.

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Jess Rivera

Lives inside rewards apps and gift-card stacks so your dinner total stops creeping north. Tracks daily deals, birthday freebies, and stackable offers—only the stuff that actually works at checkout.

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