5 Countries With Generous Tipping Cultures
Whilst tipping is a near-universal custom, it varies widely country-to-country. Whilst some nations have a minimal tipping culture, others expect generous tips even in cases of poor service. These five countries take tipping to a whole other level.
🇺🇸 United States of America
Probably the first country that will come to mind when you think ‘Generous Tipping Culture’ is the USA. Here, tipping isn’t just an acknowledgment of friendly or prompt service, a 15-20% tip on your restaurant bill is expected even in cases of poor service.
Tipping has become so deeply engrained in the American psyche that many professionals in the hospitality industry rely on tips to supplement their income.
That being said, tourists can often get caught out in the detail and over-tip in certain situations.
One common mistake is to tip on the post-tax total. It’s actually customary to tip on the pre-tax amount. This won’t save much, depending on the tax rate of the State you’re in, but it’s something.
Another is tipping at fast-food counters. You might find yourself talking to a chain of different employees at an assembly-line-style fast food counter or drive-thru. Decision-time comes when the final server calculates your bill and shows you a screen requesting your tip percentage, sometimes set at a default 20%.
Don’t feel pressured here. Even in the USA, tipping in fast-food establishments isn’t common. Feel free to tip but it’s not mandatory.
🇨🇦 Canada
Canada, America’s northern neighbour, shares many similarities with the USA due to geographic and cultural ties and that’s certainly true when it comes to tipping.
Suggested tip levels in Canada fall in the 15-20% range for restaurants, $2 per drink for bartenders,10-20% for Taxi or Uber drivers, $1-2 per bag for hotel porters, $2-3 per day for housekeepers and 10-15% for tour guides.
Whilst US and Canadian tipping practices are extremely similar, there are a few differences.
Whilst 15-20% is the expected tip level in both countries, Canadians veers closer to the 15% level and Americans generally expect closer to 20%. Service charges are also less widespread in Canada compared to the USA.
🇲🇨 Monaco
Monaco, a small sovereign city-state located on the French Riviera, has a generous tipping culture influenced by its status as a luxury tourist destination.
As Monaco grew to become an international hub for business, entertainment and leisure, it’s tipping practices evolved to incorporate those of its visitors and expatriates who were travelling from around the world.
A service-oriented culture, tipping is now an integral part of the service experience in Monaco. In restaurants or bars, a 15% tip is customary if a service charge or “service compris” hasn’t already been added to your bill.
Hotel porters tend to expect €1-2 per bag and housekeepers €1-3 per day. There’s a little more lenience with tour guides. Tip 10-15% but only if you’re satisfied and whilst tips aren’t mandatory in Taxis or Ubers, rounding up the fare is appreciated.
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Like Monaco, the UAE has a reputation for luxury and opulence. Combine that with its thriving tourism and hospitality industries and you’ve got the recipe for high-tipping expectations.
A 10-15% tip is customary in restaurants here unless a service charge has already been added to the bill. 5-10 Dirhams are customary for taxi rides and porterage services. 20-30 Dirhams per day is the expected rate for housekeeping.
Tour Guides offer a little more lenience but tips are expected unless the experience is bad. Tip 0-20% depending on quality.
Like the USA, service providers in the UAE rely on tips to supplement their income so bear all of this in mind when you’re budgeting for a trip.
🇰🇾 Cayman Islands
You’re probably starting to see a pattern to this list. The Cayman Islands, like Monaco and the UAE, are a high-end destination for upscale tourism.
Due to it’s alignment with North American customs, generous tips are expected. The official island currency may be the Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD) but US Dollars are widely accepted with many businesses displaying prices in both currencies. Similarly, small denomination tips will be accepted in either currency.
Whilst many establishments in the Cayman Islands will automatically add a 15% service charge, some will leave the tip percentage to the discretion of the customer. If that’s the case, a 15-20% tip is expected and appreciated.
Tip the bartender $1 USD or 1 CI$/Drink and even if service charges are included in your hotel bill, tip porters $1-2 per bag and tip housekeeping $2 per day at the end of your stay. Tour guides will expect a $5-15 tip per person per day.
