Restaurants are where tipping is most expected — and most argued about. In the US and Canada a gratuity is treated as part of how service staff are paid, so the norms are firmer here than almost anywhere else in the world.
Dining out is the single most common tipping situation, and the one where getting it wrong is most noticed. The guidance below is written mainly for the United States and Canada, where 15–20% at a sit-down table is the working standard because servers may be paid a lower base wage on the assumption that tips fill the gap. In much of Europe, Asia and Oceania the numbers are far lower or a service charge is simply built in — so treat these figures as North American norms, and check the region guides before you travel.
| Situation | Typical US norm | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down, full service | 15–20% (18–25% often prompted) | The baseline for adequate service, not a reward for excellence. Calculate on the pre-tax subtotal if you want to be precise. |
| Counter / fast-casual | Optional; round up or a dollar | You order and carry your own food, so a tip is a courtesy, not an obligation — this is where the screen feels most awkward. |
| Takeout | Optional; 0–10% | Little or nothing is fine for a simple bag hand-off; a few dollars is kind for a large or complicated order. |
| Buffet | ~10% or a few dollars | You serve yourself, but staff still bus tables and refill drinks — leave a little for that work. |
| Delivery | 15–20% (min. a few dollars) | Distance, weather and order size matter. See rides & delivery for app norms. |
| Large party (6+) | 18–20%, often auto-added | Check the bill for an automatic gratuity before adding a second tip. |
These are typical US sit-down figures; Canada is nearly identical. Outside North America the numbers are usually much lower — compare Europe and Asia.
At a table with a server, 15–20% on the pre-tax total is the American baseline. Anything below about 15% signals a real problem with the service; 20% and up is generous but increasingly common. The reason the floor sits so high is structural: under US federal law, employers may pay tipped workers a reduced cash wage (a “tip credit”) as long as tips lift them to at least the full minimum wage. Some states ban that practice and require the full wage before tips — so the math varies by location, but the social expectation of 15–20% holds nationwide.
Card readers now routinely suggest 18%, 20% and 25%. Those prompts are legitimate but not binding — you are always free to enter a custom amount or none at all.
The loudest part of the current debate is the tablet spun around at a counter before any service has happened. For fast-casual, coffee and takeout, no tip is owed for a simple transaction — you ordered at the register and carried your own food. Many people still round up or leave a dollar or two for a genuinely made-to-order item, and that is a kindness rather than a duty. There is no shame in tapping “No tip” when someone simply handed you a sealed bag.
Buffets sit in between: you plate your own food, but staff clear tables and keep drinks coming, so roughly 10% or a few dollars is the norm.
For larger parties — usually six or more — restaurants commonly add an automatic gratuity of 18–20% and print it on the check. When they do, that is the tip; adding another line on top means paying twice. Always scan the bill before you sign, especially with a group.
On the pre-tax versus post-tax question: either is accepted, and many diners calculate on the pre-tax subtotal because tax isn’t part of the service. The dollar difference is small, so if you’d rather not do the arithmetic, tipping on the total is always welcome.
Your tip rarely stays with one person. Most full-service restaurants run some form of tip pooling or “tipping out,” where servers share a percentage of their tips with bussers, food runners, bartenders and hosts who supported the table. In some houses a portion reaches back-of-house kitchen staff, where local law allows it. That means stiffing a server over a slow kitchen can punish people who did nothing wrong — the server still owes their tip-out on your check regardless of what you left.
Cash versus card matters less than it used to. Cash can reach a worker a little faster, but card and phone tips are pooled and paid out through payroll and count just the same. Whichever way you pay, the gesture lands.
Norms differ by country, but one shift is global: guests carry less and less cash. ScanToTIP lets anyone tip in seconds by scanning a QR code and paying with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card — no app, no hardware. See how it works or compare platforms.
For full table service in the US or Canada, 15–20% on the pre-tax total is standard, with 20% or more for excellent service. Card readers often prompt 18–25%, but you can always enter a custom amount.
No. Takeout is optional — nothing is expected for a simple bag hand-off, though a few dollars or 10% is a nice gesture for a large or complicated order.
It’s an automatic tip, usually 18–20%, that restaurants add for larger parties (often six or more). When it’s on the bill, that is the tip — adding another means paying twice, so always check before you sign.
Either is accepted. Many people calculate on the pre-tax subtotal since tax isn’t part of the service, but the difference is small and tipping on the total is always welcome.
Rarely to one person. Most restaurants pool or “tip out,” so your server shares with bussers, runners, bartenders and sometimes the kitchen where the law allows. Card and cash tips both reach staff.
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