Tipping in the United States has gotten complicated. Tip screens show up at self-checkout. Coffee shops suggest 20% for a cup that was poured in five seconds. Meanwhile, you're genuinely not sure whether to tip your mover $20 or $80, or whether the hairdresser who owns the salon even wants a tip. The guidance online tends to either be vague ("15% to 20%!") or buried under opinion and contradictions.
This guide cuts through that. The amounts below are based on current American tipping norms — what service workers actually expect, what most etiquette sources agree on, and what's changed in the past few years. We've organized it by service type because the rules really do differ, and knowing the right number for the situation is more useful than a flat percentage that doesn't fit.
Restaurants and Bars
Sit-down restaurants are where tipping culture is most embedded in the US, and the numbers have shifted upward over the past decade. The floor has moved from 15% to 18%, and 20% is now the baseline for solid service — not exceptional, just good.
Sit-Down Servers
The standard range is 18% to 20% pre-tax for standard to good service. That "pre-tax" part matters — always calculate the tip on the food and drink total before tax is added. 25% is common for genuinely excellent service, a long table, or a particularly attentive server.
Where 15% still applies: if service was below average but the server was clearly slammed and trying, 15% is fair. If the service was genuinely bad and you want to signal that, 10% lands in "something went wrong" territory. Anything below 10% reads as a deliberate message. If you leave nothing, most people will assume you forgot rather than intended it — so if you want your feedback heard, say something to the manager in addition to adjusting the tip.
Bartenders
$1 to $2 per drink for individual drinks, or 15% to 20% if you're running a tab. Cash tips given during the night (rather than at the end) tend to get better service for the rest of the evening — not a rule, just a practical reality.
Counter Service and Coffee Shops
This is where the tip screen has created the most awkward ambiguity. The short version: tipping is genuinely optional at coffee counters and quick-service spots. $1 or spare change is a kind gesture for a barista who made something complicated. Hitting 20% on a $5 drip coffee is not an expectation — the tip screen just makes it feel like one. If you go to the same shop regularly, occasional tips build goodwill. If it's a one-off, tip what you feel.
Food Delivery Drivers
15% to 20% of the order total, with a minimum of $3 regardless of how small the order is. For bad weather, long distances, or large orders over $50, a $5 to $7 minimum is more appropriate. A lot of delivery platforms front-load the tip suggestion before you see how the delivery actually goes — you can always adjust it afterward if there was a genuine problem.
| Food & Drink Service | Standard Tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down server | 18–20% pre-tax | 25% for exceptional service |
| Bartender (tab) | 15–20% | $1–$2/drink for individual orders |
| Counter / café | $1 or optional | Not expected, but appreciated |
| Food delivery driver | 15–20%, min $3 | More in bad weather or for large orders |
Hair Salons, Colorists, and Beauty Services
Beauty services are one of the highest-volume tipping categories in the US, and the standards here are more nuanced than most people realize. The type of service, who performed it, and whether you used a coupon all factor in.
Hairdressers and Stylists
The standard tip for a hairdresser is 20% for a regular haircut or blowout. This applies whether it's a trim or a full restyle. 15% is appropriate if the service was just okay. Going above 20% — say 25% — is a nice way to show appreciation for a stylist you've been seeing for a while, or for extra time spent.
For a $50 haircut, that's a $10 tip at 20%. For a $30 trim, that's $6 — some people round up to $7 or $8 for simplicity, which is always fine.
Colorists (Highlights, Balayage, Color Treatments)
Color work takes significantly more time and precision than a haircut, and the tipping expectation reflects that. 20% to 25% is the range, with 20% being the floor for good work and 25% for complex treatments or last-minute bookings. If a balayage service runs $200, a 20% tip is $40. That's the expectation — tip culture in hair coloring is well-established and stylists do factor it in.
Shampoo Assistants and Other Salon Staff
If someone else washed or prepped your hair before the stylist took over, they deserve a separate tip. $3 to $5 given directly to that person is standard. Don't assume it gets pooled or passed along — hand it to them directly.
Do You Tip Salon Owners?
This is the question that trips people up the most. The old rule said no — owners set their own prices, so tipping wasn't required. That guidance is mostly outdated now. The current standard is to tip 15% to 20% regardless of whether your stylist owns the salon, unless there's a posted policy that says they don't accept tips. When in doubt, offer — most owners will either accept it graciously or decline, and either outcome is fine.
Tipping When You Used a Coupon or Gift Card
Always calculate your tip based on the original, full-price cost of the service — not the discounted price after a coupon or gift card. The stylist did the full work regardless of what you paid. Tipping on the discounted total is technically acceptable but widely considered a faux pas in salon culture.
Not Sure What the Tip Comes Out To?
Put in your bill amount and percentage — NexAlc's Tip Calculator gives you the exact dollar amount, split per person if you need it.
Cash vs. Card: Does It Matter?
Yes, it does — and most stylists have a preference they won't say out loud. Cash is nearly always preferred. When you tip on a card, the salon processes it through the payment system, which often means the stylist receives the tip on their next paycheck, sometimes days later, and a processing fee may be deducted. Cash goes directly into their pocket the same day. If you can bring a little extra cash for the tip specifically, most stylists will appreciate it.
| Beauty Service | Standard Tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Haircut / blowout | 20% | 15% for average, 25% for exceptional |
| Color / highlights / balayage | 20–25% | Higher end for complex or long sessions |
| Shampoo assistant | $3–$5 direct | Give to them personally, not the stylist |
| Salon owner (does your hair) | 15–20% | Old "don't tip owners" rule is outdated |
| Nail technician | 20% | $3–$5 minimum for quick services |
Movers and Moving Services
Tipping movers is not required, but it is one of the more meaningful tips you can give — moving is physically demanding work, often done in difficult conditions. The amounts here are higher than a restaurant tip and should be.
Local Moves
For a half-day local move (under 4 hours), tip $20 to $40 per mover. For a full-day local move, tip $40 to $80 per mover. If you have a crew of three and the job took all day, that's $120 to $240 total — split equally among the crew.
Long-Distance and Interstate Moves
For longer moves, $50 to $100 per mover per day is appropriate. Alternatively, 10% to 20% of the total moving bill divided equally among the crew works well as a formula for expensive moves where a flat amount might be disproportionate.
When to Tip More
The standard amounts assume a reasonably straightforward job. You should go higher for:
- Heavy or difficult items — pianos, safes, large antiques
- Multiple flights of stairs with no elevator
- Moving in extreme heat, cold, or heavy rain
- Exceptional care with fragile or high-value items
- A job that ran significantly longer than quoted
How to Handle the Tip
Always use cash, given directly to each mover individually at the end of the job. Don't hand a single envelope to the team lead and assume it gets split fairly — it might not. If you want to acknowledge the lead specifically (say they were particularly organized or communicative), tip them slightly more, but still tip each worker directly.
Cold drinks and snacks throughout the day are a thoughtful extra but don't replace a cash tip — most movers will appreciate both.
Hotels and Travel
Hotel tipping is more fragmented than restaurant tipping because multiple different people serve you during a stay, and most guests don't think to tip any of them.
Hotel Housekeeping
$2 to $5 per night is the standard, left daily rather than as a single amount at checkout. The reason to tip daily is that different housekeepers may clean your room on different days — a single tip at the end only reaches the last person who cleaned it.
Leave the tip in an obvious spot (on the pillow or bedside table) with a note that says "For Housekeeping" — an unmarked bill on the dresser might not be touched because staff aren't sure if it was intentionally left.
For a room running $300 per night, lean toward the $5 end, or up to $10 if the room is particularly large or has been cleaned thoroughly after heavy use.
Bellhops and Porters
$2 to $5 per bag handled. For a simple drop at the door, $2 to $3 per bag is fine. For bags carried to the room, explained amenities, and extra help — $4 to $5 per bag. Large or very heavy bags warrant the higher end.
Concierge
For standard information (restaurant recommendations, directions), no tip is needed — that's part of the job. For someone who secured a difficult reservation, arranged tickets, or went out of their way to fix a problem, $5 to $20 is appropriate depending on the complexity of what they did. Tip at the time of service, not at checkout.
Rideshare and Taxi Drivers
10% to 15% for standard trips, or a flat $2 to $5 for short rides where a percentage would be very low. For excellent service — help with luggage, waiting for you, a clean and comfortable car — 20% is appropriate. The in-app tip on rideshare is real and goes to the driver; using it matters.
Tour Guides
Tipping a tour guide is standard practice in the US and expected in most parts of the world, though the amount varies by format.
Private Tour Guides
For a private guide (just you, a couple, or your family), 15% to 20% of the tour cost is appropriate. On a $200 private tour, that's $30 to $40. Pay in cash at the end of the tour directly to the guide.
Group Tours
For a group or bus tour, $5 to $10 per person per day is the norm. For a half-day tour, $5 per person. For a multi-day tour, budget accordingly — if you're on a week-long guided trip, $50 to $100 total per person for the lead guide is not unreasonable for excellent service. If there's a separate bus driver, $2 to $5 per day for them as well.
Do You Need to Tip on Get Your Guide or Viator?
No, these platforms don't add gratuity automatically, and tipping isn't required. But guides on these platforms earn their income from the tour fee and rely on reviews and repeat bookings — a cash tip at the end of a great tour is a meaningful gesture. The same amounts apply: $5 to $10 per person for a group tour, 15% for a private one.
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