How much to tip: Restaurant
In the US, 18-20% of the pre-tax bill for table service. Everywhere else, this varies enormously — check the country-specific guide, since 'restaurant tipping' isn't one universal rule.
Restaurant quick reference
Who tips, and how
The person who was actually served pays it, typically added to a card payment, calculated on the pre-tax subtotal, or left in cash directly on the table or handed to the server. For a large group, restaurants in tip-heavy countries like the US commonly add an automatic gratuity (often 18-20% for parties of 6-8+) printed directly on the bill — always check for this line before adding a tip on top of it. In many US states, servers are legally paid a lower tipped minimum wage (as low as $2.13/hour federally, though some states require the full minimum wage regardless), on the assumption that tips make up the real difference — this wage structure is the core economic reason US restaurant tipping norms sit meaningfully higher than most of the rest of the world.
When to skip it
At counter-service or fast-casual restaurants where you order at a register and food is brought to you (not full table service), a full restaurant-level tip generally isn't expected — see the fast-casual/counter-service situation guide instead. In many countries (France, Switzerland, Japan, much of Asia), a service charge or salaried-staff wage structure means restaurant tipping is optional-to-nonexistent regardless of how good the service was. Even within the US, a tip can reasonably be reduced, though not usually eliminated entirely, for service that was genuinely inattentive or rude throughout the meal — kitchen mistakes (a wrong or slow dish) are generally not the server's fault and shouldn't affect their tip the same way poor personal service should.
Cash vs. app
Card tipping through a terminal is now dominant in tip-culture countries, and most systems calculate the suggested percentage automatically — worth checking whether it's calculating on the pre-tax or post-tax total, since post-tax inflates the effective percentage. Cash left directly for the server remains the most reliable way to ensure the money reaches that specific person rather than getting pooled or processed through payroll, and in restaurants using a full tip-pooling system across servers, bussers, and sometimes kitchen staff, cash left specifically for your server can still end up redistributed depending on house policy.
Regional notes
This is the single most internationally variable tipping situation on the entire site. US/Canada: 15-20%, expected. UK/Ireland: 10-15%, appreciated, sometimes already added as a discretionary service charge. France/Switzerland: legally included, optional extra. Japan/South Korea/China: not customary, can be refused. See each country's individual guide for the real specifics — this page covers the situation generically, while the country pages account for local wage structures, service-charge laws, and cultural attitudes that meaningfully change the actual expectation.
Related reading
How this plays out in a few different countries, plus the wider category this situation belongs to.
Frequently asked questions
How should I handle tipping when splitting a bill among several people?
The cleanest approach is to calculate the tip on the full bill first, then divide the total (including tip) evenly or by what each person ordered, rather than each person separately guessing their own share — most payment terminals now support splitting a bill this way directly.
What's the etiquette for tipping when a manager comps part of the meal due to a mistake?
It's generally kind to tip on the original, pre-comp value of the meal rather than the reduced amount, since the server likely still delivered good service even if the kitchen made an error the manager chose to comp.
Do I tip on gift cards or vouchers used to pay part of the bill?
Yes — the tip should be calculated on the full pre-discount value of the meal, not the reduced amount you actually paid after applying a gift card or voucher, since the server provided the same full service regardless of how you settled the bill.
Do I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total?
Traditionally the pre-tax subtotal, though many modern card-payment systems default to calculating the suggested percentage on the post-tax total, which quietly increases what you end up paying — entering a custom amount avoids this if it matters to you.
What if I only had drinks at the bar, not a full meal?
Bar tipping has its own separate, usually lower norms (often a flat $1-2 per drink in the US rather than a percentage) — see the dedicated bar situation guide.
Should I tip differently for delivery vs. dining in?
Yes — food delivery has its own separate typical range and norms distinct from sit-down table service; see the food delivery situation guide for that specific breakdown.
Why does US restaurant tipping run higher than almost anywhere else in the world?
It traces back directly to the legal tipped-minimum-wage structure in most US states, where servers can be paid well below the standard minimum wage on the assumption that tips make up the gap — this is a genuinely different underlying economic model from countries where restaurant staff are paid a full standard wage regardless of tips.
Do I still tip if I used a coupon or a restaurant-week fixed-price deal?
Tipping on the actual price paid (the discounted or fixed-price total) is standard, though many diners choose to tip on the menu's regular, undiscounted value instead as a way of fairly compensating the server for the same amount of service regardless of the promotional pricing.
Is it ever appropriate to tip 0% at a US restaurant?
It's legal and occasionally done for truly egregious service, but it's a serious statement given the tipped-wage structure many servers work under, and most etiquette guidance suggests speaking to a manager about a genuine problem rather than silently zeroing out a tip as the primary way to register a complaint.
Sources: National Restaurant Association (US) consumer tipping data (checked 2026-06-09); UK Government — Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2024 guidance (checked 2026-06-09).