Tip Calculator by Service Type

Calculate the right tip for any service — restaurant, bar, hotel, taxi, salon, delivery, and more.

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Enter your values and click Calculate

Tipping norms vary significantly by service type, and what's standard in one setting can be over- or under-tipping in another. This tip calculator shows you the low, standard, and generous tip amounts for the specific service you're paying for — along with the total bill at each level. Restaurant and bar tipping in the US has shifted upward over the past decade; delivery tipping has a different calculus based on base pay and distance; hotel housekeeping is one of the most commonly skipped tips despite being a significant part of staff income. Enter your bill amount and service type to get context-appropriate recommendations. For hotel housekeeping, the calculator converts the per-night amount to a total based on your bill input as number of nights. Tip percentages shown are based on current US tipping norms as of 2026.

How It Works

For percentage-based services (restaurant, bar, taxi, hair, delivery, spa), tip is calculated as: tip = bill amount × tip percentage. Total = bill + tip. Tip percentages used: restaurant 15/18/22%, bar 15/20/25%, taxi 10/15/20%, hair salon 15/20/25%, food delivery 10/15/20%, spa 15/18/20%. For hotel housekeeping, the fixed-per-night model is used: tip = nightly rate × number of nights, where low=$2/night, standard=$3/night, generous=$5/night. Enter the number of nights in the bill field for hotel calculations. These ranges reflect current US tipping norms as of 2026 based on industry surveys from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bankrate, and hospitality industry guidelines.

Examples

Restaurant Dinner for Two
$85 restaurant bill for a sit-down dinner.
Result: Standard tip: $15.30 (18%), total $100.30. Generous: $18.70 (22%), total $103.70.
3-Night Hotel Stay
Tipping hotel housekeeping for a 3-night stay.
Result: Standard: $9 total ($3/night). Generous: $15 total ($5/night). Leave daily, not at checkout.
Food Delivery Order
$35 food delivery order.
Result: Standard tip: $5.25 (15%), total $40.25. Generous: $7 (20%), total $42.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is tipping mandatory in the US?
Tipping is not legally mandatory in the US, but it is a deeply embedded social expectation in many service industries. In sit-down restaurants, bars, hair salons, and similar services, tips constitute a substantial portion of worker income — federal law allows employers to pay tipped workers as little as $2.13/hour, with tips expected to bring total pay to at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour. Many states have higher minimum wages for tipped workers, but the custom of tipping remains standard. Declining to tip in a restaurant without cause is considered rude and effectively reduces the server's compensation.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Both approaches are acceptable. Tipping on the pre-tax amount is technically correct since the tax goes to the government, not the server. However, tipping on the post-tax amount is common and the difference is small — on a $100 pre-tax bill with 8% tax, tipping 18% on pre-tax ($18) vs post-tax ($19.44) is a $1.44 difference. Most people tip on the total bill as displayed — whichever approach you choose, consistency and generosity matter more than the pre/post-tax distinction.
Do I tip on takeout orders?
Tipping on takeout is increasingly expected but less mandatory than sit-down service. A 10–15% tip is appropriate if the restaurant assembles your order carefully and packaging is well done. For counter service where you're just picking up a pre-made order, a tip is appreciated but less obligatory. For app-based ordering where a default tip screen appears, 10% is a reasonable baseline. Drivers who deliver (DoorDash, UberEats, etc.) should always be tipped — they receive very low base pay from the platforms.
Why has tipping inflation (tipflation) happened?
Tip prompts on card readers now appear in many contexts where tipping wasn't previously expected — coffee shops, counter service, self-checkout kiosks. This 'tipflation' results from point-of-sale systems defaulting to tip prompts (often 18/20/25% with no easy 'skip' option) across all transaction types. It's driven by businesses passing wage pressure to customers rather than raising prices. You are not obligated to tip at counter service or self-checkout where no personal service is provided. The social obligation for tipping is strongest where workers rely on tips as a core component of their wages — primarily restaurants, bars, and personal service providers.