How much do I have to tip? A Canadian guide to when you can skip the gratuity (2024)

Tipping culture was once a straightforward process, but it has turned into a confusing and sometimes heated debate. What’s the ideal percentage? Should you tip your Uber Eats driver or the barista at Starbucks? Is it ever OK not to tip? Here’s what the experts have to say.

Why has tipping culture changed?

Traditionally, tipping was a consumer’s responsibility, says Julie Blais Comeau, the chief etiquette officer at etiquettejulie.com. However, with the introduction of pay terminals, restaurants eliminated the need for the customer to guess the math and instead offered preset options like 15 per cent.

Article content

The mindset around tipping began to change during the pandemic. The service sector was hit the hardest, says etiquette expert Susy Fossati, and people wanted to show their gratitude towards those workers. Blais Comeau says people had more money to spend during this time as they were unable to spend their money on previous outings. That, along with the fact that workers were risking their health during this time, people were more likely to leave larger tips than before.

However, once again, society is in a different place surrounding tipping culture. Blais Comeau points to a manpower shortage as the leading reason why more services are asking for tips.

“Employees (are) turning to the employer, in non-traditional places where people would tip, and they’re asking the employers, as a way to increase their salaries or wages, the permission to access tipping.”

Do customers have to tip in new circ*mstances?

Fossati believes workers “jumped on the bandwagon” of asking for tips in non-traditional places and the idea stuck. Now, she says, it’s up to consumers to decide whether they want to continue this practice.

Article content

Article content

But, if every service-provider starts asking for tips, it becomes confusing for the consumer to know when it’s reasonable to leave a tip. As a general rule, Blais Comeau says, “You should be tipping in places of restaurant when you are being served.” She believes the ideal amount is still 15 per cent. However, Fossati believes the ideal percentage has now risen to 18 per cent.

Either way, it is never appropriate to not leave a tip or go under 15 per cent, says Blais Comeau. “If you have a complaint, pick up your courage, speak in a calm manner to the host, the hostess, the owner or take a step back, send an email or pick up the phone because it’s not just one person that you are penalizing.”

Fossati follows what she calls a five-minute timeframe: “Any service like grabbing a coffee or sandwich where it fell under five minutes, (and) it wasn’t particularly anything exceptional, I don’t really consider the tip.”

How much should customers tip?

The tricky part of the conversation surrounding tipping is knowing when and how much of a tip to leave at non-traditional spots. Blais Comeau reiterates tipping is not mandatory in certain sectors of work, but “if someone goes above and beyond, in a sector of the economy where a tip is not part of the custom, you could offer it.”

Article content

Another option, says Balis Comeau, is to start tipping in cash again. Fossati points out that tip jars were always an option in many places, but they went unnoticed. Now, when the terminal is asking for a tip, it feels like an obligation. Tipping in cash eliminates that pressure, and the consumer can decide how much they truly want to tip.

Yet, “tipping is not the only way we can recognize a good service,” says Blais Comeau.

Both she and Fossati point to other ways people can show their gratitude to workers. Leaving a positive review on social media could support the livelihood of a service worker, says Blais Comeau. Offering a smile, kind words or leaving a pleasant note are all ways someone can show their appreciation, says Fossati.

“Just taking that time to acknowledge another person, to acknowledge the kindness and service that you receive,” can go a long way says Fossati. “Impacting someone else’s life just because they have positively impacted yours…that’s what makes our community a better place.”

Article content

How much should I tip?

Below is a list of common places you may be confused about tipping. Here’s what’s mandatory — and what’s not.

Restaurant/Bar/Pub: Mandatory tip — minimum 15 per cent

Takeout: Mandatory tip — minimum 15 per cent

Uber: Mandatory tip — 10 to 20 per cent

Taxi: Mandatory tip — 10 to 15 per cent, cash preferred

Uber Eats/Food Delivery: Mandatory tip — minimum $5

Grocery Delivery: Mandatory tip — $5-$20

Massage: Mandatory tip — 10 to 20 per cent, but not if it is medically prescribed or covered by insurance

Hairstylist/Barber/ Beautician: Culturally expected tip — 15 per cent

Hotel Doorman: Culturally expected tip — $2-$5

Hotel Bellboy: Culturally expected tip — $2-$5 per bag

Hotel Housekeeping: Culturally expected tip — $5-$10 per day

Coffee Shop: Optional tip — “keep the change”

Grocery Store: No tip needed

Article content