Here’s How Much You Should Tip in These 12 Situations, According to George Kamel

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Tipping is common in the United States, but many people are still unsure whether or how much to tip in different situations. Only around a third of Americans think it’s very or extremely easy to determine whether they should tip, according to a Pew Research Center survey — the rest are less confident. Having a straightforward, detailed guide would be incredibly helpful — especially since many tipped workers rely on those tips to make enough money.

Luckily, that’s exactly what George Kamel provided in a recent blog post for Ramsey Solutions. Kamel is one of the personal finance experts at Ramsey Solutions, Dave Ramsey’s financial counseling and education company. He describes how much you should tip in many common scenarios across different categories.

Try Kamel’s guidelines the next time you’re struggling to decide how much to tip.

Restaurants

Going out to eat is a great way to enjoy a good meal without the hassle of doing prep and cleaning up yourself. But the prices on the menu may not reflect your total costs, since tipping is often expected. Here’s how much Kamel believes you should tip at different types of restaurants.

Sit-Down Restaurants

It’s commonly accepted that diners should tip their servers after eating at a sit-down restaurant. Around 92% of Americans say they always or often leave a tip in this situation, more than any other category in the Pew Research survey.

Kamel wrote that you should tip your waiter or server between 15% and 20% in these restaurants, and even higher if you’re especially happy with the service. Employers are only required to pay servers a minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, with tips making up the rest of their earnings. Kamel emphasized that you should always leave a tip, even if your service is terrible.

Buffet Restaurants

You generally pick out all your food at a buffet restaurant and bring it back to the table yourself. However, servers are likely clearing your plates and refilling your drinks. Kamel recommended tipping at least 10% to recognize the work those servers are doing for you. If you have great service, consider tipping higher.

Restaurant Takeout

Sometimes, you’re not in the mood to eat in a restaurant, so you pick up your meal to eat from the comfort of your home. In that scenario, there’s no server waiting on you, so you don’t have to leave the same tip as you would for eat-in dining.

Kamel pointed out that it’s still nice to leave the workers something. He suggested tipping them a few dollars to “show your appreciation” — but if it’s a big order, consider tipping a little more.

Fast-Food Restaurants

What about when you go to a fast-food place like McDonald’s? Kamel argued that whether you leave a tip and how much depends on the quality of service you receive. If a restaurant worker brings food to your table or cleans up your table for you, you might leave a few dollars.

Kamel doesn’t think it’s necessary in this setting, though. He wrote, “Don’t feel obligated. It’s OK to bypass the tip in these quick and casual settings.”

Delivery

If you order food from a restaurant and have it delivered to your house, Kamel believes you should “absolutely tip.” Over three-quarters of Americans agree, either always or often tipping in this situation. Kamel’s tip suggestion is to “be generous and give them 10% to 20%.”

Coffee Shop

Kamel wrote that you don’t need to leave a tip when you’re just picking up your morning coffee or tea from your local café. However, he suggested leaving a dollar or two to thank your barista if they provide especially good service.

Traveling

Between transportation, accommodations and entertainment, traveling can be expensive. You should factor tips into your budget, too. These are some situations that might come up while traveling that Kamel said require a tip. 

Cab Driver

Your cab driver will probably expect a tip for taking you to your destination, but only 43% of Americans always leave a tip in this situation. Kamel argued if the ride was terrible and “you feared for your life during the trip,” you don’t have to leave anything.

If you were happy with the ride, he suggested tipping 10% to 15%, with a little extra if the driver helped with your bags.

Housekeeping

If you’re staying in a hotel or motel, there will probably be housekeeping service. Kamel suggested tipping each day you request housekeeping instead of one large tip at the end, since staff may rotate. He recommended tipping a couple of dollars at a budget-friendly hotel and more at nice hotels.

International Travel

Americans traveling abroad should remember that tipping culture can vary significantly by country. In some places, like Japan, leaving a tip can be seen as rude.

Kamel recommended researching your destination ahead of time to learn the tipping standards there.

Grocery Delivery

Grocery delivery services are incredibly convenient, but they’ll probably cost you a bit more than shopping yourself, since you need to leave a tip to compensate your delivery person. Kamel’s suggested rule of thumb is 15% to 20%, whether you’re using a gig service like Instacart or in-house delivery services from stores such as Walmart.

Home Services

When you hire someone to do work in your house, it’s a nice gesture to provide a tip. Here are Kamel’s tip suggestions for different home services.

Housecleaners

Around 10% of all U.S. households pay for professional home cleaning services, according to Cleango. If you’re in that group, Kamel wrote that you should tip your cleaners between 15% and 20%.

Movers

Moving all your belongings is a big hassle, especially with large or unusual items. According to Kamel, if you hire professional movers who do a great job, you should tip $10 to $50 per mover. Determine your tip based on the crew’s attitude, the difficulty of the move and how much stuff you have.

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