Whether you're enjoying a meal at a restaurant, traveling in a taxi or getting a haircut at barbershop, after receiving the bill, you always wonder how much you should tip. In this guide, we will explain everything about tipping, and a brief history. Furthermore, we will show you a quick trick to calculate the tip amount based on a percentage of the bill in just seconds.
Our Tip Calculator is a fast and easy tool that helps you calculate the tip based on your bill amount. And you can also split the total (including tip) between multiple individuals. This tool is designed for convenient and fast calculation. Keep reading further as we will show you how to use it effectively.
A tip, also known as gratuity, is a small amount we give to someone who provides a personal service, for instance, a waiter, waitress, barber, taxi driver, or delivery person. A tip is a type of thanks given in response to good service that we appreciate. While not mandatory, tipping is expected in many places globally and considered a form of appreciation.
Brief History
Tipping is originated in England in 16th-century, it was common among rich people to give coins to servants for a excellent service. Later, that practice spread to Europe and the United States. In the US, tipping became a standard custom in the late 1800s after the Civil War.
The gratuity we give, whether at a restaurant, to a taxi driver, or elsewhere — is the reward for exceptional and great service. Tipping is more than just a gesture of thanks that serves the following purposes:
Tipping depends on the quality of service and any extra effort they made to make the customer happy. Based on your overall satisfaction, you give a small amount as a tip. Although it depends on the situation, tipping between 10% and 20% is considered standard. This range can vary based on countries, but here is the general guide for the USA/Canada:
| Service | Standard Tip (U.S./Canada) |
|---|---|
| Restaurants (dine-in) | 15% – 20% |
| Food Delivery | 10% – 15% |
| Taxi / Rideshare | 10% – 15% |
| Hairdresser / Barber | 15% – 20% |
| Hotel (bellhop) | 1 – 2 dollars per bag |
| Hotel (housekeeping) | 2 – 5 dollars per night |
| Valet Parking | 2 – 5 dollars |
If you're sitting at a restaurant table or in a taxi, and you want to find out how to calculate a tip. First, you need to know how happy you are with the service to estimate the tip percentage. Suppose you want to give a 10% tip on the bill. To calculate how much is 10%, it is more simpler than might think. You just need to move the decimal point to the left by one place (e.g 150.5 dollars -> 15.05 dollars). In same way, you can find 20% by multiplying that result by 2 (e.g 15.05 dollars x 2 = 30.1 dollars). Calculating a tip is that simple, let's understand it further with a few examples.
Imagine you're at a restaurant, and your bill is 195 dollars:
195 dollars → 19.5 dollars10%.19.5 dollars × 2 → 39 dollars10% (of the bill) by 2 and then add that value to the 10% (of the bill).(19.5 dollars / 2) + 19.5 dollars = 9.75 dollars + 19.5 = 29.25 dollarsThis is the simplest trick to calculate tip effortlessly. Additionally, use our calculator for convenient tip calculation with a split bill feature. Suppose, you're with a group of friends sitting at a restaurant, and the bill arrives. You want to split the total bill including a small amount or percentage tip — equally among everyone. Use our simple calculator with a split bill feature to evenly divide the total bill between all individuals. Now, we will explore tipping in United States and in others countries.
In the United States, most workers heavily depend on tips amount as part of their income. Tipping is also commonly expected and 15% to 20% is the average of the total bill before tax. Further, we will look at tiping guidelines in U.S, which are common and expected but not mandatory:
Tipping vary greatly in different countries:
| Country | Tipping Culture |
|---|---|
| Canada | Similar to the U.S., 15-20% at restaurants. |
| UK | 10-12.5% in restaurants. Optional if service is poor. |
| Australia | Not required but appreciated (5-10% in upscale restaurants). |
| France | Service charge included in bills; rounding up or 5% extra is optional. |
| Germany | Round up or tip 5-10%. Give it directly to the server. |
| Japan | Tipping is not customary and may be considered rude. |
| China | Tipping is uncommon. Exceptions: luxury hotels, Western establishments. |
| India | Tipping is common in restaurants (5-10%) and hotels. |
| Mexico | 10-15% expected in restaurants. |
No, tipping is not mendatory or legally required, but it is expected many countries like in USA, and in Canada.