Hub · United States · 2026
Tipping by service: 14 situations, the customary number for each.
Pick the row that matches your evening. Each card links to a page with worked examples, the edge cases (auto-gratuity, bad service, cash vs. card), and a calculator pre-filled with the right starting percentage. Numbers reflect 2026 US norms drawn from the Bankrate Tipping Survey, Pew Research Center, and the Emily Post Institute.
Side-by-side comparison
The number is one thing; the floor — where you'd be visibly cheap — is another. This table puts them next to each other.
| Service | Customary tip | Floor | Notes |
|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 18–22% | 15% | Pre-tax subtotal. 25%+ for exceptional service. |
| Food delivery | 15–20% | $5 or 10% | Whichever is higher. Driver sees tip before accepting. |
| Rideshare | 15–20% | $2 | Tip in-app; cash is fine for taxis. |
| Hotel housekeeping | $3–$5/night | $2/night | Daily, with a note. Not just at checkout. |
| Hotel bellhop | $2/bag | $5 total | Per service, not per stay. |
| Hair salon | 18–20% | 15% | Split if more than one person worked on you. |
| Group dining (6+) | 18–20% auto | Already on bill | Read the bill before adding more — or run it through the auto-gratuity calculator. |
| Valet parking | $3–$5 | $2 | Each time the car is returned. |
| Takeout | 0–10% | $0 | Optional; tip if someone packed a complex order. |
| Coffee counter | $1 or 10% | $0 | Custom drink = tip. Drip coffee = optional. |
| Bartender | $1–$2/drink | $1/drink | 20% on a closed tab; round up cash drinks. |
| Movers | $20–$40/each | $10/each | Per mover. Plus lunch on a full day. |
| Tattoo artist | 20–25% | 15% | Cash preferred. Tip on the full cost, not the deposit. |
| Massage / spa | 18–20% | 15% | On the menu price, not the resort fee. |
Sources: Bankrate 2025 Tipping Survey; Pew Research Center, "Tipping Culture in America" (2023); Emily Post Institute Tipping Reference. Updated for 2026 norms.
What changes the answer
The customary number assumes a competent transaction in a US city. Region matters — tips skew higher in New York and San Francisco than in rural areas. The size of the bill matters too: 20% of a $300 dinner feels like a lot, but lowering the percentage on a big check signals you're penalizing the server for an expensive menu. Time of day, complexity, and how much custom work was done all push the number up.
If the service used a touchscreen prompt — coffee shops, bakeries, even some self-checkout pickups — the customary number is often lower than what the screen suggests. The screen presets are set by the merchant, not by etiquette. See the tipping-fatigue piece for what's actually expected at the counter in 2026.
How to use this hub
Each page is built to answer one question quickly — the TL;DR at the top is the answer for 90% of cases, and the rest of the page covers the edge cases. If you're not in the US, start with the country hub instead; tipping in Japan, France, or Egypt follows rules nothing like the US norms here.
The mini-calculator at the bottom of each service page is pre-filled with that service's default tip — 20% on the restaurant page, 18% on delivery, 15% on rideshare. If you'd rather start from a blank slate, the homepage calculator opens with no preset selected. Prefer a lookup table? Print the tip chart, or learn the shortcuts in how to calculate a tip.