How much to tip in the US: Service charge means you could pay twice

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. I had calculated $5 would represent a tip of about 15 per cent, and placed a five-dollar-bill in the tip jar. Tipping 15 per cent is the absolute minimum in the US; restaurant checks often include helpful calculations showing a gratuity of 18, 20 or even 25 per cent to help you tip. “No servers want the table and, assuming the worst, they tend to give bad service if they get stuck with it.” Our dismal reputation and consequent lack of service is reinforced by UK travellers who doggedly tip 10 per cent because that’s what they do everywhere. In a break from tradition, they are automatically adding a service charge, typically a handsome 18 per cent, and inviting diners to tip even more.