Tipping in the US has quietly shifted in the last decade. Touchscreen prompts now ask you to tip for a takeout coffee, and this guide treats 20% as the baseline at sit-down restaurants. Habits vary, though: in a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 57% of U.S. adults said they would tip 15% or less for an average sit-down meal, and only about a quarter said they would tip 20% or more. Here is what customary tipping looks like in 2026, service by service.
Restaurants (sit-down)
Our suggested baseline is 20% of the pre-tax total, with 22-25% for genuinely good service. Many diners still leave 15% or less for an average meal (see the Pew figures above), so a lower tip is not automatically a complaint. Tip on the pre-tax subtotal — tipping on the total means you are tipping on sales tax, which serves no one.
For large parties (typically 6+ people), many restaurants add an automatic gratuity of 18-20%. This should be disclosed on the menu and itemized on the check. If it is added, you do not tip again — unless service was exceptional and you want to round up.
Restaurants (counter service and fast casual)
When you order at a counter and carry your own food, tipping has become expected but the amount is lower. 0-10% on the total is reasonable. Zero is not rude at a true fast-food counter, or at a food truck where you collect your own order. At Chipotle-style places where someone builds your order in front of you, a dollar or two or a 10% tip is typical.
The iPad prompts that suggest 18%, 22%, and 25% for a coffee you grabbed from a bakery counter are aggressive. You are not obligated. Many people tip flat $1-2 on small orders and nothing on pure retail purchases.
These prompts now appear even at self-serve frozen yogurt shops. Many calculate on the post-tax total, and the “No tip” option is often a small gray button. Tip when the service warrants it, not because a prompt appeared.
Food delivery
15-20% of the order subtotal, with a $5 minimum. Delivery is more physically demanding than table service (driving, weather, climbing stairs) and the driver is paying for gas. A $40 order at 18% is $7.20; that is about right. A $14 lunch at 20% is $2.80 — round up to $5. Never use the delivery fee as a reason not to tip. That fee generally goes to the restaurant or the app, not the driver. In bad weather, add $2-3 to your usual tip, and add a little more for a long-distance delivery.
Rideshare (Uber, Lyft)
15-20%, in-app, same logic as a taxi. A long quiet ride at 15% is fine; short city rides with help handling luggage warrant 20%. Cash tips are not expected and may complicate the driver’s accounting.
Taxis
15-20%, rounded up to a convenient dollar. $18.50 fare → $22. Drivers appreciate cash because credit card tips are processed with delays and sometimes fees.
Bartender
$1-2 per drink, or 20% of the tab, whichever is higher. For complicated craft cocktails, lean toward 20%. For a single beer at a dive bar, $1 is fine. If you start a tab and close it at the end, tip 20% on the total. If you pay cash as you go, leave the tip on the bar in $1 bills.
Hotel housekeeping
$3-5 per night, left in an envelope or clearly marked on the pillow each morning (not at the end of the stay — you may have different staff each day). Higher-end hotels and more demanding stays (family with young children, long stay with heavy housekeeping) push toward $5-10 per night.
Hotel valet
$3-5 when the car is returned to you. A simple pull-up does not need a tip on drop-off. If someone rushes to get your car in bad weather or you need special handling, $10 is appropriate.
Hotel bellhop / porter
$2-3 per bag, minimum $5. A cart with six bags rolled up three floors is worth $15.
Concierge
No tip for basic directions or a restaurant recommendation. $10-20 for securing a hard-to-get reservation, arranging transportation, or handling a special request. $50+ for something extraordinary like last-minute event tickets.
Room service, cruises, and tours
Hotel room service runs 15-20%, but check the bill first — gratuity is often added automatically. Cruise lines usually add a daily per-person gratuity the same way (the amount depends on the line and cabin type), and cruise bartenders get $1-2 per drink unless gratuity is already included. For guides and drivers:
- Tour guide, half day: $10-20 per person
- Tour guide, full day: $20-50 per person
- Driver only, multi-day trip: $5-10 per person per day
Hair salon / barber
15-20% of the service total. Tip each person separately if different people shampooed, colored, and cut (stylist gets the largest share). If the owner cuts your hair, tipping is optional in some regions, but many clients still tip the owner 15-20%.
Nail salon / spa services
15-20%. Same logic as hair salon — tip the individual service provider. For a full spa package with multiple providers (facial, massage, mani-pedi), 18-20% is standard.
Massage therapist
15-20% at commercial spas. At a private or medical practice (physiotherapy, injury recovery), tipping is not expected — these are treated as medical services. When in doubt, ask the front desk. At spas, check the bill before adding a tip; gratuity is often added automatically.
Movers
$20-40 per mover for a half-day job, $40-60 for a full day, $60-100 for a heavy full day. Cash is strongly preferred. A provided lunch or cold drinks in addition is appreciated. Do not tip the company; tip each individual mover directly.
Furniture / appliance delivery
$5-10 per person for straightforward delivery; $10-20 per person if they carry items up multiple flights, assemble, or remove old furniture. If the product arrives damaged or they damage your home, you can tip less or nothing — but handle the damage claim through the retailer.
House cleaner
10-15% of the bill, or one week’s payment as a holiday bonus for regular weekly service. For a one-time deep clean through a service, the tip is optional but appreciated — $20-40.
Dog groomer, dog walker, pet sitter
15-20% per service. Holiday tip for regular providers equal to one session’s payment is customary.
Where you do NOT tip (in the US)
- Flight attendants — never (unless it is a charter)
- Government employees (TSA, DMV, postal workers) — prohibited
- Mechanics, plumbers, electricians — not expected; a cold drink on a hot day is nice
- Contractors and tradespeople on major projects — not expected; referrals and reviews mean more
- Lawn care — usually not tipped when a company crew does the work
- Doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants — absolutely not
- Retail cashiers — no; the iPad prompt notwithstanding
Don’t take US percentages abroad, either. In the UK and much of Europe, menu prices usually include VAT and tips are lower or not expected: around 10% when service isn’t already included, often nothing when a service charge is printed on the check, and 10-12% for exceptional service is the ceiling in most of Europe. In Japan, tips are often refused. US-sized tips confuse staff rather than read as generous, so check local custom before you travel.
Holiday tipping (December)
For recurring service providers, many Americans tip extra in December:
- Regular hairstylist: one service fee
- Housekeeper: one week’s pay
- Doorman: $25-150 depending on building and tenure
- Mail carrier: a non-cash gift worth $20 or less (USPS rules ban cash, checks, and gift cards that can be exchanged for cash)
- Newspaper carrier: $10-30
- Garbage collector: $20-30
- Personal trainer: one session’s fee
- Babysitter/nanny: one to two weeks’ pay plus a small gift
- Teachers: group gift to classroom, not cash (ethics rules)
Pre-tax vs post-tax: which number do you tip on?
Say the subtotal is $80 and the total with 8% tax is $86.40. A 20% tip on the subtotal is $16.00; on the total it is $17.28. Etiquette says tip on the subtotal, since sales tax goes to the government. In practice, many diners tip on the post-tax total because it is the big number at the bottom of the check. That is slightly more generous, and servers rarely notice the base — they notice whether you tipped 18%, 20%, or 25%.
How big is the difference? At an 8% sales tax, 20% of the post-tax total gives the server an extra 1.6% of the subtotal: $1.28 on an $80 dinner, $3.20 on a $200 dinner, and $80 over 100 meals a year averaging $50. In higher-tax areas the gap widens; at a 9.5% combined sales tax, 20% of the total is an effective 21.9% tip on the subtotal.
Printed suggestions. Suggested tips printed on a check (“15% = $12.96, 18% = $15.55, 20% = $17.28” on the $86.40 check above) are frequently calculated on the post-tax total, so the printed “20%” is often an effective 21-22% of the subtotal. That’s fine if you’re happy with the amount; just know you are being nudged toward the higher figure.
Delivery apps. On DoorDash or Uber Eats, the food subtotal already excludes the delivery fee, the service fee, and sometimes tax. Tip on that subtotal, not on the fees, which don’t go to the driver. A $30 food order might total $42 with fees and taxes: 20% of $42 is $8.40, while 20% of the $30 subtotal is $6 — the correct target. App calculators often default to the higher number.
Business meals. Company expense policies often reimburse only a tip calculated on the pre-tax subtotal, so tipping on the total means covering the extra 1.6% yourself. Use the pre-tax subtotal for client entertainment and expense reports.
Mental-math shortcuts. For 20%, move the decimal point one place left (10%) and double it: a $72.50 subtotal → $7.25 → $14.50 tip. Or use the tax line: where sales tax is about 10%, double the tax is a 20% tip on the subtotal. At 8% tax, doubling gives only 16%, and tripling gives 24%.
Splitting the check
When splitting evenly, multiply the total (including tax) by 1.20, then divide by the number of people — the quick method, though it tips on the post-tax total. When splitting by what each person ordered, tip is usually divided proportionally to each person’s share of the pre-tax subtotal. Our tip calculator handles the even split: enter the bill, tip percentage, and number of people, and it returns the tip, the total, and each person’s share.
The most common questions
“Do I tip on tax?” No. Tip on the pre-tax subtotal. Some people tip on the total for simplicity, which is generous but not required — see the pre-tax vs post-tax section above for how much it adds.
“Do I tip if there is an automatic service charge?” If the check says “gratuity included” or “service charge 18%,” you are done. If it is a separate line called a “service fee” but does not mention gratuity, the money may not go to the server — check with the restaurant or tip on top.
“What about bad service?” Leave 10-15% and consider a quiet word with the manager. Leaving nothing is rarely the right answer — it might just be a bad night for the server, not their personality.
“Cash or card?” Workers generally prefer cash: it goes to them directly and arrives the same day, while card tips are processed and may be pooled with the restaurant’s other tips. Card tips are still perfectly acceptable, and for rideshare the app is the norm.
For any of the above, plug the numbers into our tip calculator to get the exact amount and per-person split without second-guessing the mental math at the table.