this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2025
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To those who live in or who have visited the United States.

Growing up in the 90's, the "minimum acceptable" tip was 10%, average was 15%, and a good tip was 20%. These days, I just round to the nearest dollar and tip 20%, but I've heard these days it's not unusual to tip up to 40%!

What do you usually do?

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[–] communism@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 minutes ago

I don't live in the US but I tip around 20%, sometimes more or less depending. Tbh I'm never sure what tipping etiquette is supposed to be here, but if it's obvious how much the worker is getting (eg ride shares or food delivery where you can see the delivery fee), I tip them how much I think is reasonable to be paid for that job, which is usually quite a bit more than I'm charged for the service. And ofc not all of the initial charge goes to the worker anyway.

[–] kokope11i@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

15-25% usually 20%. I have worked for tips so I get it.

My wife tipped 25% at an ice cream parlor last night. Which I thought was ridiculous considering he just pulled three pints out of a freezer behind him.

It's too many places now.

[–] psyklax@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago

I avoid restaurants that require tipping. When I do have to tip, I give way too much if the service was good. IMO, good service is to not try to talk to me too much, and to be responsive to what I need done (refilling drinks, taking additional requests). Bonus tip if I know they're overworked and handling it well.

15% floor. Throw an additional $10 sometimes. Always direct to the worker because these places steal tips. Also I tip cooks sometimes.

But I avoid going to these restaurants.

[–] Blaze@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 hours ago
[–] eatham@aussie.zone 15 points 12 hours ago

Nothing I live in Australia

[–] Shimitar@downonthestreet.eu 6 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

When I have been in the us I used to tip around 15%. Accepted that as a weirdness of the us.

On my home country tipping is just weird and unheard of, so 0%.

Edit: last time I was in the us was like 15 years ago.

[–] peaceful_world_view@lemmy.world 29 points 17 hours ago

Nothing, I live in a country where it's the employer's responsibility to pay their staff a livable wage.

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

I'm almost always a 25%. I used to work in the industry in a previous lifetime, and tips were what kept me afloat. Now I'm an overpaid professional, and have no qualm paying it forward.

The only situations I will tip much less is if:

  • Service was just absolutely fucking abysmal due to very clear negligence.
  • It's one of these new hipster restaurants that keep popping up, where you order and pay for your food upfront and are expected to tip then as well, without knowing how service will be. I'm not talking about food carts or kiosks either, these are actual restaurants. I hate the expectation that I should just pay an extra premium without even having a chance to evaluate the experience.
[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 12 points 18 hours ago

I was going to answer, but then you clarified on the body of your post that you only wanted answers from people in the US, lol

[–] paequ2@lemmy.today 11 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

but I’ve heard these days it’s not unusual to tip up to 40%!

That seems pretty unusual to me.

I normally tip 20%.

[–] iamanurd@midwest.social 1 points 13 hours ago

I’m usually 25 and round up. Probably closer to 30.

[–] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 5 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

15% flat always. Canada has sadly embraced tipping culture so I'll not deny anyone the going rate or judge them at their workplace - but Vancouver is also expensive as fuck and anything over 15% starts putting meals close to the 100$ mark.

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 hours ago

Don't pay it. In Australia they're trying, and I remind them they get paid well, get paid overtime, get paid a pension, and get paid more to take holidays. After being paid all that, why is the shitty machine prompting a tip?

[–] gm0n3y@lemm.ee 10 points 18 hours ago

Typically 20-25 at a restaurant. I’m not a fan of tipping for transactions where I’m not served. I only tip when someone does something.

[–] MrVilliam@lemm.ee 3 points 14 hours ago

Usually 20-25% unless the service is inexcusably bad (like 1-5% of the time, and even then I'll tip like 15%). I'll typically approximate 20% and round up to the nearest dollar, then maybe add a dollar or two. I remember 15% being standard with it being acceptable to go down to 10 or up to 20; 18% was sorta my standard at the time, and I'd only go as low as 15%. I've only ever asked to speak to a manager three times that I can remember, and both times were due to what the kitchen sent out to me. I still tipped fully to the server since it wasn't their fault. I was a chef for years, so I know how stressful it gets back there, but there's still no excuse for the dishes I've sent back. There's usually an offer to cook something else, but if I'm sending food back it's because I don't trust the kitchen to send out food that won't give me food poisoning.

Tipped minimum wage here (and therefore all tipped wage) is $2.17/hour. I believe that these businesses should be forced to pay proper wages, but stiffing your server doesn't achieve that. These people are on their feet running around for hours and they usually don't have enough support or leadership to do their job as well as they'd like to, and then they're too exhausted and broke to study or work to break into another industry. We're gonna have a lot of 30-50 year old servers living paycheck to paycheck until their knees and back give out. I'm down with tipping an extra couple bucks so they can get some Dr Scholl's.

[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago

Growing up, and even after working in foodservice, I was always told to tip at least 20% (almost) regardless of service.

There's been maybe two times I didn't tip 20% and the lower tip was definitely earned.

[–] Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 17 hours ago

in Canada, usually 15%, if the service is outstanding or i'm a regular I'll tip 20%

[–] untorquer@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago

If i was still there I'd still tip 20% cash preferred. (Card/electronic transactions are more often stolen by management)

[–] GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

~~0%. We do not have a tipping culture, nor will I ever move in the direction of us having one.~~

EDIT: I'm not in the U.S so my answer does not apply

[–] Kalcifer@sh.itjust.works 5 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Zero. I believe that the negotiations of an employee's market value are between the employee and their employer. I don't believe that it is my responsibility to charitably subsidize a company through the subsidization of their employees' wages.

[–] iceonfire1@lemmy.world -5 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Your choice not to tip will make no difference to the company, but every difference to a person who suffers through customer service for a living.

"I don't want to subsidize a company" is just you inventing a convenient way to justify what is essentially theft. Why stop at not tipping? You could probably get away with stealing IDK, playground equipment too.

[–] dan00@lemm.ee 1 points 4 hours ago

Not tipping is theft now? Is everything ok bud?

[–] chairman@feddit.nl 1 points 12 hours ago

15 pct is what I do now on average. No tip for takeout.

[–] DemBoSain@midwest.social 2 points 15 hours ago

I have generally tipped at least 20%. But tipped workers in my state just fought to keep their sub-minimum wage, because republicans convinced them that people would stop tipping if they were paid more. Tipped minimum wage was going up to $6, but now it's only going up to $4.74. I've been tipping too much, and will bring it back down to max 15%.

[–] jqubed@lemmy.world 2 points 15 hours ago

Typically somewhere between 15-20%. I do a rough mental calculation figuring out 10% by moving the decimal, then either double that or figure out what half of that is and roughly add that amount to the 10% amount, then go with a nice roundish number (to the nearest quarter) in that range. Usually a little higher than my rough estimate for 15% if I’m on that low end just so my rough math doesn’t inadvertently shortchange the server.

I make my calculation based on the total with tax included. I know some people go on the pretax amount.

BONUS: If I’m doing a delivery service like DoorDash, I look up my distance to the restaurant and make sure the tip is always at least equal to the mileage. I used to drive for them and $1/mile was always my minimum. DoorDash at least would typically only kick in $2/delivery, unless there were bonus promos. Since the driver might not be at the restaurant I figure that’s probably enough to get them to the restaurant, then the tip will get them from there to me. Actually, at home my house is several miles from any restaurants, so I usually go $4 above that to make sure the driver doesn’t lose money getting back to civilization. If I’m at a hotel close to restaurants I won’t necessarily do that. If it’s something where I’d like to try to get the best service I’ll go higher; they typically offer the highest pay orders to their top rated drivers first.

[–] CMDR_Horn@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

15% typically, more if it warrants it. Food keeps getting more expensive, so the percentage doesn’t have to go up.

100-200% depending on how good the service was.

Downside to this is I can't afford to go out as often. :C

[–] Today@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

Usually 20% and round up the change. Less of there are server issues. A buck or two more if service is super. I don't tip if I'm standing up when i order.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

I’m a good tipper, having waited tables before, so usually ~30% but it’s certainly not expected. 20% is the standard tip.

[–] usrtrv@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago

When I lived in the US, 15%. Now 0%, feels great.

[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 1 points 18 hours ago

I give $2 for a pizza, $1-2 if I’m picking up to go. Usually I go 15-20% for standard service but rarely tip over $30 a server unless the meal was outstanding.

[–] Zak@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

In the USA: 20%. In Europe: 10%. If service is exceptional or bad, I adjust up or down.

[–] dan00@lemm.ee 1 points 4 hours ago

Stop tipping in EU. Last time someone asked me to tip in Germany got a 1 star review.

[–] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 5 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Please don't fucking tip in Europe, tipping culture isn't normalized there and servers actually get a fair wage.

[–] Zak@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago

Tipping at restaurants is already normal in Germany, France, and Italy if there is not a service charge on the check.

[–] latenightnoir@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago

As a Romanian, tipping here does very much help Hospitality/Delivery workers, as our wages are deep down the toilet.

Our tipping culture is (or was, at least) pretty similar to the US's, 10-15% as a standard tip, 20% if you're flush and the service was notable (checking up on you occasionally, helping you make sense of things if need be, polite, nothing over-the-top). Same thing goes for delivery people.

Nowadays, I suspect people have somewhat maintained the ratios, although this comes mostly as an anecdotal observation - I started tipping 20-25%, or even double that if I'm ordering groceries (because I stock up for weeks, so it's quite a bit to carry), and a LOT of delivery people have remarked that it was the largest tip they'd ever received (as an average example, about a 20RON ~ $4 tip to a 100RON ~ $21 food order).