Tipping etiquette
Most tipping anxiety comes from a handful of questions: what to tip on, when a charge replaces a tip, and what a tip actually pays for. Here they are, with two small models you can play with.
Pre-tax or after-tax?
The traditional rule, repeated by etiquette authorities like the Emily Post Institute, is to tip on the subtotal before tax. Payment screens often calculate on the total instead. Move the sliders to see how much that really changes.
Because the gap is just your tip percentage applied to the tax, it grows only when the tax or the bill is large, like a big group dinner in a high-tax city.
The gap is $1.42, which is exactly 20% of the $7.10 tax. Tipping on the total just means tipping on the tax too; on most meals that's small change, so neither choice is rude.
Where a US restaurant tip goes
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer may pay tipped staff a cash wage of just $2.13 an hour, as long as tips bring them to at least the $7.25 federal minimum. The difference, up to $5.12 an hour, is the "tip credit".
Several states, including California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Minnesota and Alaska, don't allow a tip credit, so servers there earn the full state minimum before tips. Everywhere, a tip is a large share of take-home pay. Drag the tips slider to see how the pieces fit.
Customs like these stick best when you see them in action rather than memorise a list, which is also the idea behind ahaboo, where you drag the Moon around Earth to learn why it changes shape.
- Employer cash wage $2.13/hr
- Employer top-up to reach $7.25 $1.12/hr
- Your tips $4.00/hr
Server's hourly pay: $7.25. The first $4.00 of tips each hour counts toward the minimum wage the employer would otherwise pay. That "tip credit" is why a skipped tip in these states directly cuts the server's pay.
Rules of thumb worth keeping
Read the bill before you tip
"Gratuity included" or an automatic 18–20% for large parties means the tip is done. A "service charge" may go partly to the business; ask if it's passed to staff. In the UK, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 requires tips and service charges to go to workers.
Counter screens are suggestions
Tablets that open at 20% on a coffee order reflect the software's defaults, not etiquette. For counter service, tipping is optional; a dollar for a made-to-order drink is generous.
Tip on the service, not the purchase
At a salon, tip on the service price, not the shampoo you bought. On a coupon or comp, tip on the full value.
Tip the people, not the owner's business
Fees like "delivery fee", "coperto" or "municipality fee" are charges, not tips. What reaches the worker is the tip line.
Bad service? Say something
Tipping less sends an unclear signal. Telling a manager (politely) fixes the actual problem, and many people still leave 10–15% unless the server was rude.
For amounts, see the tipping guide by service, or the international tipping guide before a trip.
Questions people ask
Is it rude not to tip?
In the US, skipping a tip for table service is widely seen as rude because tips make up a large part of the server's pay. For counter service, takeout or where a service charge applies, not tipping is fine.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or after-tax total?
Etiquette says pre-tax, since the tax isn't part of the service. In practice the difference is the tip percentage times the tax, usually under a couple of dollars.
Do I tip on a discounted or comped bill?
Tip on the original, pre-discount price. The server did the same work.
Is cash or card better for tips?
Both reach staff, but cash arrives the same day and avoids card processing deductions some employers make. Card is completely acceptable.
What should I do if service was bad?
Speak to a manager first; problems are often the kitchen's, not the server's. Many people still leave 10–15% unless the server was rude.