Where tipping norms stand right now
Fifteen percent used to be fine. It is not anymore. At a full-service restaurant today, 15 percent reads as mild disappointment to most servers, and 18 to 20 percent is the baseline for ordinary competent service. That shift is documented. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 72 percent of American adults said tipping was expected at restaurants, and the median amount people reported tipping has climbed alongside it.
Why the change? Partly wages. In many states, tipped workers receive a lower base hourly rate than the standard minimum wage, with the legal expectation that gratuities make up the difference. When that base rate stagnates and the cost of everything else rises, servers need higher percentages to stay even. There is also a post-pandemic factor: restaurants that survived 2020 and 2021 did so in part by leaning harder on tipped compensation to retain staff. None of this means you owe anyone a specific amount by law. It does explain the new normal.
For exact dollar amounts on any bill, the tip calculator on this site handles the math in seconds. The sections below explain the reasoning behind the numbers.
Dollar amounts by bill size
The table below shows what you would actually pay at the three most common percentages, across three bill sizes that generate the most questions.
| Bill total | 15% tip | 18% tip | 20% tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $7.50 | $9.00 | $10.00 |
| $80 | $12.00 | $14.40 | $16.00 |
| $100 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
Twenty percent has a useful mental math shortcut. Move the decimal on the bill total one place left, then double it. On a $100 bill: $10, doubled, is $20. On an $80 bill: $8, doubled, is $16. Fast. Most people can do it without picking up their phone, which is probably part of why 20 percent became the default.
For 15 percent, take 10 percent and add half of that. So on $80, that is $8 plus $4, giving you $12. For 18 percent, the arithmetic is messier, which is part of why many people round to 20.
How much do you tip for a $100 bill?
This comes up constantly. On a $100 restaurant bill, the standard range is $15 to $20 for ordinary service. If service was solid, $20 is appropriate. Good service? $25. Exceptional? More. The floor is 15 percent, and going below that sends a signal, intentional or not.
One thing worth knowing: if the kitchen backed up, the food came out cold, or the wait was long despite the server checking on you, that is not the server's fault. Those problems originate with the kitchen or with staffing decisions management made before you sat down. Tip accordingly, meaning do not take it out on the person who carried your food.
Most people tip on the pre-tax subtotal rather than the total after tax. On a $100 bill with 8 percent tax, the difference between those two approaches is about $1.60. It is not worth agonizing over. Getting the percentage right matters far more than which total you use.
Is 20 percent a good tip?
Yes. Full stop.
Twenty percent is the current baseline for competent, unremarkable service at a U.S. sit-down restaurant. Servers generally describe it as fair when asked directly, not generous, just fair. The math behind it: federal tipped minimum wage sits at $2.13 per hour, with most states setting it somewhere higher but still below the standard rate. Tips are not optional income for these workers. They are the income, with the base pay filling in a thin gap. At 20 percent on a normal shift, total compensation usually clears the standard minimum wage. At 10 or 12 percent, it frequently does not.
The separate argument that this system should not exist is worth having. But leaving a low tip to make a political point about tipped wages lands on the server, not on the restaurant owner or the legislature. For more on where the percentages come from and how they vary by context, see the companion guide on tip percentages: 15, 18, or 20.
Tipping by service type
Food delivery
The delivery fee you pay in the app is not the driver's tip. That is the thing most people get wrong. Platforms charge a delivery fee to cover their operational costs and, in some cases, a slice of revenue. Drivers receive a base pay from the platform that can be quite low on short trips, plus whatever tip is added at checkout or after delivery.
Start at $3 to $5 for a standard order, or 15 to 20 percent of the order total, whichever is more. For large orders, bad weather, or a delivery covering more than a few miles, $5 to $7 is more fitting. If you live in a building with a slow elevator or an unmarked entrance, tip a little more. The driver had no idea your building was like that until they arrived.
Bars
A dollar per drink is the floor for simple orders at a bar. For a cocktail that required actual technique, $2 is more appropriate. On a tab with multiple rounds, treat it like a restaurant: 15 to 20 percent of the total. If you are nursing one drink at the bar for two hours, tip accordingly for the real estate you are occupying.
Coffee shops and counter service
Optional. That is the honest answer. The social norm around tipping evolved around tipped-wage workers in table service. A barista making your drink to order is doing something skill-based and time-intensive, which is a reasonable case for a tip. A cashier handing you a pre-packaged item is not. The tablet screen does not change that distinction, regardless of which percentage it highlights in blue.
Many people leave $1 for a simple coffee and 15 to 20 percent for more complex espresso drinks. That is a reasonable informal norm. Going to zero is not rude at a counter. Going to zero at a place where someone made you something fresh and specific is stingier than most people intend to be.
Hotel services
Most guests underdo hotel tipping and then feel guilty about it at checkout. A practical breakdown: $1 to $5 per night for housekeeping (left daily, since staff rotates and a tip left at checkout may not reach the person who actually cleaned your room), $1 to $2 per bag for bell staff who carry luggage, and $5 to $20 for a concierge who secured something genuinely difficult to get. Room service usually includes a service charge in the bill, but an additional $2 to $5 for the person who carried the tray up a few floors is a common practice and generally expected.
Hair salons and spas
Fifteen to 20 percent of the service total is the standard. If the salon owner performs the service themselves, tipping is still appropriate at most places, though there is less of an obligation since the owner sets their own prices and captures the full service fee. An assistant who washes your hair separately typically receives $3 to $5 on top of the main tip.
Rideshare and taxis
Both Uber and Lyft prompt for a tip after a ride. The default options usually start at 15 to 18 percent, and that range is reasonable for a routine trip. For a long ride, help with luggage, or a driver who navigated genuinely difficult traffic without complaint, 20 percent is appropriate. On short trips where the flat-dollar amount at 20 percent is only $1.50 or so, bumping to a $3 or $4 minimum is a considerate move.
When tipping is not the norm
Counter-service fast food does not generally carry a tipping expectation, though many registers now include a prompt. Self-checkout lines do not. Grocery store cashiers, gas station attendants, and most retail workers are paid an hourly wage rather than a tipped rate. The social arrangement is different, and no prompt on a screen changes that.
Airport kiosks, parking booths, and similar automated or semi-automated transactions are also not tip situations, regardless of what the payment terminal suggests. For a fuller breakdown of situations that do and do not carry a tip expectation, the guide on tipping etiquette in the United States covers those categories in detail.
How to handle genuinely bad service
The conventional advice is to tip less when service is poor. That is reasonable, with a caveat. Identify what actually went wrong.
Cold food? Probably the kitchen. Long wait on a busy Saturday night? Probably staffing. These are not the server's fault. Tipping 10 percent to protest the kitchen's performance is a category error. On the other hand, a server who was dismissive, made a clear error, and never acknowledged it is a fair candidate for a reduced tip. Ten to 15 percent is a legible signal. Going to zero or near it mostly affects the server's take-home pay; it rarely prompts any operational change. If you want results, talk to a manager.
The quick math, again
Twenty percent: move the decimal, double it. That works every time. For a $50 bill, it is $10. For an $80 bill, it is $16. For a $100 bill, it is $20. That is the number most servers describe as fair, and it is easy enough to calculate before the check hits the table.
If you want to skip the arithmetic entirely, use the tip calculator to get exact totals for any bill size and percentage in a few taps.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you tip for a $100 bill?
On a $100 restaurant bill, 15% is $15, 18% is $18, and 20% is $20. The current norm for competent sit-down service is 18 to 20 percent. If something went wrong through no fault of the server, 15 percent is still within an acceptable range.
Is 20 percent a good tip?
Yes. Twenty percent is the widely accepted standard for good service at a U.S. restaurant. It is easy to calculate, it reflects the actual wage structure for tipped workers, and servers generally consider it fair. For exceptional service, go higher.
Do you tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total?
Either works, and the difference is usually small. Most people tip on the pre-tax subtotal. On a $100 bill with 8 percent tax, the difference between tipping on each is about $1.60. Getting the percentage right matters more than which total you use.
How much do you tip for food delivery?
A common starting point is $3 to $5 for standard orders, or 15 to 20 percent of the order total, whichever is more. For large orders, bad weather, or long distances, tip toward the higher end. The delivery fee charged by the app generally does not go to the driver.
Should you tip at a coffee shop or counter-service restaurant?
It is optional, not expected. Many people leave $1 for a simple coffee or 10 to 15 percent for a more involved drink. The tablet prompt does not create an obligation. Decide based on whether the work was tip-worthy, not based on which option on the screen looks least awkward.