To tip or not to tip?

[Sandra]

To tip or not to tip? Unfortunately, that is not the question when visiting the U.S.

Because, on the other side of the Atlantic, it's simply a matter of how much to cough up.

What makes it worse is that it's now par for the course to have a card-reader shoved under your nose asking if you want to add 10 per cent, 20 per cent, 25 per cent or even 30 per cent after almost any purchase.

Not just for a meal at a restaurant, but for a coffee at a kiosk, a drink in a bar, or sometimes (shockingly) at self-service counters and convenience stores.

Even Americans are finding it too much, coining a word for the widespread tipping culture: 'tipflation'.

In the U.S. you should expect to tip the bartender at least $1 for a standard drink. For cocktails, you may wish to pay more.
Much depends on where you go: expect to tip more in New York or LA than in, for example, St Louis, Missouri or rural Oklahoma .
It may go against the grain — not being the norm back home — but in the U.S. it's commonplace to shell out $1 per drink. This is an absolute minimum in a run-of-the-mill bar.

In a fancy cocktail joint you may wish to double it or even pay more, especially if you hope to be served quickly next time.

If you have opened a tab, a tip of 15-20 per cent of the bill is standard.

Meanwhile, if you eat food at the bar, tip the bartender like a restaurant waiter — 15-20 per cent.

Do tip in cash, 15-20 per cent is usual with standard cabs.

However, over there, if the server has bagged your order, added utensils or carried the food to your car, then a tip is a nice gesture: maybe a dollar or two. Let's hope it doesn't catch on here.

BREAKFASTS: BUFFET ETIQUETTE

During breakfasts where you serve yourself (or at any buffet), tip attendants refilling water glasses or clearing dishes $1 to $2.
TOUR GUIDES: DOLE OUT THE DOLLARS

On short walking tours of less than two hours, tip $5–$10 per tour guide. For tours of up to six hours, the tip should be at least $10-$20, or more if it's been especially good. These guys really do rely on their tips to make a living.
SALONS: PAY TO BE PAMPERED

Some salons do not allow gratuity. Others may include it in the bill. If a salon does allow it and it is not already included, tip between 15 and 20 per cent.