How much should I tip?
Twenty percent at a sit-down restaurant. That is the modern American standard, and tipped servers are often paid a sub-minimum base wage on the assumption tips fill the gap, so this is closer to the bill than a bonus.
Elsewhere: a dollar or two per drink at a bar, 15 to 20 percent for food delivery and rideshares, a few dollars a day for hotel housekeeping, and 15 to 20 percent for haircuts. Counter service and takeout are the honest gray zone. The screen will suggest 25 percent for handing you a muffin; tipping there is optional and nobody serious thinks otherwise.
Tip on the pre-tax total if you want, on the full total if you are feeling generous. The difference is small and no one is auditing you.
Tip 20 percent at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at a bar, and 15 to 20 percent for delivery and rideshare. Counter-service tips are genuinely optional.
- US Department of Labor, tipped wage rules
- Emily Post Institute tipping guidance
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https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/how-much-should-i-tip/Everybody Asks. (2026, July 28). How much should I tip? https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/how-much-should-i-tip/“How much should I tip?” Everybody Asks, 28 July 2026, https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/how-much-should-i-tip/.“How much should I tip?” Everybody Asks. Last modified July 28, 2026. https://frequentlyaskedquestions.us/q/how-much-should-i-tip/.This page summarizes the primary sources listed above. For academic or encyclopedic work, cite those primary sources directly wherever possible.