If you traveled the world and ate at a restaurant than you would know that tipping etiquette is different in every country. In some countries tipping is customary and actually almost mandatory while others would be offended. So it is important to know a countries tipping custom so that you don’t look foolish!

In this post I going to give some general advice as well as focus on regions and country tipping etiquette mainly for restaurants. Then I’m going to give some great tipping etiquette resources in case you want to know even more.

North America

If you’re American or know anything about American culture than you would know that tipping etiquette here depends on how well the service is but typically a tip is customary between 10% to as high as 25%. In fact in the United States, tipping is almost mandatory because many of the waiters live off their tips. I know for the rest of the world that sounds a little weird but restaurants pay their waiters the absolute bare minimum and the pressure to tip is put on the customer. Canada is the other North American country that follows this etiquette.

Down in Mexico and the rest of Latin America tipping is also pretty normal but it is a less percentage than Canada or thee United States at just around 10% – 15% of the bill. Countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama all follow Mexico. The only North American country to have no tip required is Costa Rica! By the way, if you see a word like “propina” in Spanish speaking countries, it means gratuity was already included in the bill and there is no need for more tip.

Caribbean

The Caribbean is much influenced by tourism from the United States and Canada and almost every single country or territory tipping etiquette includes tips. Only two countries don’t follow suit, Anguilla and Guadeloupe. Most of the Caribbean expects average tips, ranging from 10% to 15% of your bill so if you’re American or Canadian, this is like most restaurants you would visit back at home. In the Caribbean many waiters make their living off of tips as well! The service probably will not be like back home since their is a more laid back attitude and the idea is to not be intrusive.

There are only a few countries that stand out to be more expensive than the rest. Jamaica, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands which is actually not very surprising since these are the most touristy and expensive Caribbean countries. All of the Caribbean takes American Dollars as tips except the French speaking countries who prefer Euros.

Europe

Europe is probably one of the more diverse regions where tipping etiquette really depends on which part you’re in. For example, in France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and much of western Europe tip is more of an extra and sometimes not even expected. Most European countries support their waiters with a full check and the waiters don’t depend on tips for their income. In fact, waiting is like an art form and many waiters go to school to learn the trade. Sure it’s nice to leave but if you didn’t leave one it wouldn’t be the worst thing. 5% – 15% is usually acceptable for most of Europe especially if the bill already included a service charge like they do in France , etc. There are only 3 countries that no tip is required including, Ukraine, Switzerland and Iceland.

One thing that throws most Americans off is that Europeans don’t bother people about the check or bill. In fact you may never see the waiter until the food comes out or they just happen to be walking around. The idea is to let you enjoy your meal and to not be intrusive or feel like you’re being rushed. They are getting paid by the restaurant so there is no need to rush you out of the door or make you feel like you need to put down a big tip.

South America

Like the Caribbean and North America, most South American nations expect tip as proper tipping etiquette. Most countries including Brazil, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina all expect tips in the 10% – 15% range and sometimes none at all in some special case restaurants. However if you feel like giving a tip it will always be greatly appreciated and never frowned upon. Many of these countries don’t expect a tip and don’t even have it written on the bill but in general it’s pretty widely practiced. Like Latin America, sometimes restaurants sometimes put an extra charge on the bill that acts like tip.

There are only two countries in South America where no tip is expected, Suriname and French Guiana. However even in these countries it’s still okay to hand over change or a tip if you like. Each country in South America has their own idea of how much tip should be provided and this may depend on what city you’re in and even what type of establishment. For example in big cities across Brazil, Argentina and Chile you should expect to pay higher especially at a higher end restaurant. Much of the country side expects a lesser tip or just the fact that a 15% tip is just not customary.

Africa

Across the pond from South America, tipping etiquette means to include tip in every African country. In most African nations you can expect to pay around 10% – 15% and even more if you feel like it. There are only 5 countries where tip is expected to be less than 10% – 15% and they include, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania. There is only 1 country where you’re expected to pay more than 15% and that’s in Mauritania.

Much of Africa doesn’t care if you want to tip a little extra but if you only had a beer or wine and you just want to leave change, that’s okay too. Like much of the world, Africa doesn’t take many credit cards and it is well advised to always bring small amounts of cash. The fact is that many restaurants won’t break change and you may find it hard to get the money back that you want. You do not have to leave tip if there is already a gratuity fee included.

Asia

Asia is a vast region and it’s honestly a mix bag of different customs and ideas on tipping etiquette. For example countries in the Middle East do tip and it’s usually around the 5% – 15% range. Kuwait has the most expectations in terms of tipping and likes to see tips in the 15% – 20% range. The rest all lie between 5% – 15% tipping range with some countries like Georgia already adding tip on to the bill. In those instances you’re not expected to put down more tip but you certainly can. However there are some countries like Jordan where there is a service charge already added and then you should add tip.

The further east and more inner Asia you get, tipping becomes less customary. Countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan do not require tipping and it’s not expected but you can tip if you’d like. Further to the east it’s also a mix bag of different tipping etiquette.

Eastern Asia has long been considered a place where you don’t really need to tip and that remains true in countries like China, Pakistan, Mongolia, Laos, Taiwan and Malaysia. In fact in Japan and South Korea it can be considered offensive to tip since they are expected to already give excellent service. In may seem that tips are not required but if you feel like being generous it will probably be accepted but don’t be surprised if places refuse it. Other Asian countries have taken on a more western approach and tipping has become more common in India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand.

Australia and the Pacific

The tipping etiquette in the Pacific is much like many Asian countries where tipping is really not required. In fact looking over the entire region I can’t find a country where tipping is actually standard. This may have to do with countries like Australia and New Zealand paying some of the highest minimum wages in the world. Great service is expected and the countries feel like tipping shouldn’t be necessary since the staff is paid well. However if you feel you received excellent service than it’s okay now to tip whatever you feel like.

In the more exotic countries like French Polynesia and Fiji it was once consider quite rude to leave a tip. Today most of the region is still the same way however more relaxed and will accept tips if you insist. However some establishments have service fees that you pay on top of your bill but you’re never expected to leave a tip.

And there you have it. A guideline of tipping etiquette for restaurants. If you want to get more in-depth open up the “Resource” tab and look at some tipping resources with more in depth coverage like tipping on hotels and taxis. Tipping is complex, cultural and quite different in many parts of the world so keep that in mind. If tipping with cash make sure to always carry small bills as it makes it easier to tip and you won’t have to rely on someone to break change. If you want even more details I would suggest typing in a countries name in Google followed by “tipping etiquette” or “customs.”

Some unique websites I recommend are Tip This Much and Who to Tip

[toggle title=”Resources” state=”close” ]

http://goafrica.about.com/od/africatraveltips/a/Tipping-In-Africa.htm

http://www.travelsense.org/tips/tippingSAmerica.cfm

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/tipping-in-europe

http://cdn1.matadornetwork.com/blogs/1/2014/07/global-guide-to-tipping_53b41794dcdcc.jpg.jpg

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2008-11-11/etiquette-101-tipping-guide

http://dailyinfographic.com/tourists-guide-to-tipping

http://www.whototip.net/

http://firstwefeast.com/eat/guide-to-tipping-around-the-world/

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worldwide-guide-to-restaurant-tipping/

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/18/travel-tipping-cities-forbeslife-cx_lm_1118travel.html