Do you tip for takeout? (How much?)
Just learned that a friend of mine always tips 10% on takeout. Ive never tipped on takeout unless they offered me a water/soda while I waited or something.
US biased, but I’m a little curious about other countries as well.
No, because tipping culture isn't a thing here.
Same. They're trying, tho. Restaurants often ask me to punch in the total before paying. I consistently go for the sum that I actually ate for.
Some taxi drivers/companies do the same. I've started only using those who don't.
Until people outside the service industry have the same opportunity to get something extra, tipping culture can fuck right off. I'll gladly keep paying more for my meal if the waiters etc get decently paid.
No tipping culture where I live either, but there are a few places - especially in tourist heavy areas - where the EFTPOS machine will ask if you want to add a tip before you put your card in. Just about every place I've been the server will hit the "0%" button for you before handing the machine over if they can tell you are a local
@neidu2
What? That's such a slow way of doing it!! The ones who try it here just have an extra screen like the receipt yes/no screen.
If they're going to start making you do data entry that's awful.
This. I’m happy with weekend surcharges, so long as that’s going to the staff being paid properly. If you want staff to get paid better, do what literally every other workforce does and bake it into your business.
I think that's called bonus pay, I've just never seen a job that actually gave bonus pay.
I never ever tip if I'm picking up the food myself. No service is being rendered.
I also pretty much never get takeout anymore because the grossness of being asked for a tip ruins the experience.
There's a donut place I go to that hands you a device/keypad thing when you pay and it has like a gazillion prompts and questions, including tip. But I found that if you order ahead and pay online, you can skip all that and just pop in and pick up your order. So that's what I always do now.
For anyone in the Chicago area, you need to try Stan's Donuts. Everything is good but specifically the yeast-raised donuts are to die for. Best Boston Cream donut I've ever had.
I just assume that the tipping screen is built into the POS (cash register) software. It doesn't know if this is a tip appropriate business, so it just asks for one.
They surely wouldn't complain if you did, but I don't think that any of those places are trying to manipulate people into tipping through their cash out screen prompts.
As a business owner that has used several different POS systems, I can tell you that they are choosing to have you see the tip prompt. I have never seen a system that didn't have tipping as an option that can be turned on or off. However, it is usually set to on as default.
I have no doubt that you are completely correct.
But, as someone who has used various POS at various companies, I can tell you that nobody ever changes the defaults. 😂
Sadly this is very true haha
Never. On nothing. Fuck tips.
Please, people: continue tipping for non-takeout service!
I generally agree with you and personally think that tipping culture in the US is out-of-control and needs reform. Restaurants should pay their employees a living wage, regardless of whether or not the customer gives them extra... But until they do, workers still rely on you to survive. So please don't stiff them in an attempt to make a point!
EDIT: Downvote all you want, but can anyone actually defend not tipping workers who rely on it at a sit-down restaurant in the US?
In the US, tip servers, they make about $3/hr. Now that you know, you're the asshole if you don't tip.
This is untrue. If they earn less than minimum after tips the business has to make it up. The first $5 an hour essentially go in the pocket of the owner.
I will in the US as per your country’s unfortunate custom. But at home? Fuck no.
Won't change the system through conformity.
I avoid places that enforce tips, but if there's no alternative, I'm not giving away free money.
You friend is insane and making the problem worse. Tell them to stop.
Even in the US, where tipping has been out of control for a long time, nobody in their right mind tips for takeout. The employee literally didn't do a damn thing other than a couple seconds of handing you a box and possibly cashing you out.
In my previous town there was a restaurant where I had to install an app to order. When ordering, the kitchen would make the meal and put it out on a counter where I had to go and pick it up myself. When ordering drinks, I had to walk over to the bar where a server left the drink out on a table for me to fetch. Basically no interaction with anyone.
The audacity when the app asked me to leave a tip. Luckily I live in Norway where leaving no tip is completely normal, because civilized employment laws exist.
Please continue not tipping. I do not want to pay extra so that business owners can dump wages.
Well that's just false. Many people don't tip for takeout (I don't), but the customary amount in the US is 10% if you're going to. I worked in the service industry almost 20 years ago and that amount was supposed to go to bartenders and hostesses who handled the takeout, and it was a nice supplement since takeout and busy bar times didnt normally overlap. It didn't use to be expected (unlike post covid where tipping is out of control), but if they bring the food out to you or if you have any special orders it's definitely common. I still bristle at the idea and did back then too, but it's a far cry from "nobody in their right mind".
Nope. Where I live employees' salary is included in the food prices.
Fuck no, they're paid to prepare food. There's no service, why am I tipping? People who tip like this are the reason why we have a terrible time ordering every time we go out.
Could you speak up so those in the back can hear you?
“Fuck no”
Ok great, thank you for your service.
Zero tips for takeout.
Canada here. For the very rare delivery order I make, I'll do 10%.
For takeout orders, 0, except from my favourite shawarma place because I like them and want them to stay around. They get 10%. Their prices are very reasonable to begin with, so much that I've thought they could charge more.
This is the correct response. Small businesses with fair prices need support.
Scotland. As much as they are trying tipping isn't. Thing here but back in the days when we payed by cash I'd usually just round it up to the next £5 or £10
Ha ha ha same here (NZ), I'm assuming gullible tourists must be keeping that misguided dream alive.
Went to Greece last year and they're trying the "Would you like to leave a tip" message on the card machine
It's your fucking civic duty to click "NO" then immediately get on Google leaving a 1-star review saying why
Fuck right off, I'll decide whether to tip or not, NEVER ask for it
One resteraunt I went to shoved on 10% with a note saying opt out. Nowhere was this mentioned until the bill.
Here's yhe annoying thing if the food cost 10% more I'd still have happily paid for the meal recommended the place and come back for more as the food was good and cheap for what you got.
That 1 thing has annoyed me enough I'm never returning and recommending to others to avoid.
@Mr_Blott those are popping up a lot in tourist spots here. I just laugh, they're trying it on.
Since I'm not from a tipping culture I like being reminded in countries where they need it as part of their wage, though. Didn't realise it's offensive.
Nope.
I'll tip like a buck sometimes, but only if I'm feeling like it. Certainly no obligation. USA
Yup, in the US you shouldn't tip on takeout orders
Now we're discussing tipping for takeout? What's next tipping in drive thru? I'm so tired of the tipping culture in the US, so very tired.
Have you not been tipping the machine for taking your tip? I was told we should leave 2% next to the machine because VISA/MasterCard will go out of business if we don't afford the life we have to sacrifice to it every day?
I checked with Futurama by the way, we can sacrifice the embryos for 1.76 days of extension.
I went to a Sonic recently because I was constipated and sure enough, they were asking for tips at the checkout screen. Same thing at a liquor store I went to.
USA, I also tip 10% on takeout. I guess it's my way of helping the employees have a shot at a livable wage. I used to have a job in the industry myself, and internalized the "pay it forward" culture.
This.
Was in both front and back of the house positions, in the service industry in the US and while yeah, it may be allowing employers to skate a little longer on paying their people a REAL wage, that’s their karma accruing.
I’ll help the person in front of me.
Not for takeout. I only tip for eating-in, which I still find dumb. We should ban tips and force restaurants to pay a livable wage
$0.00
That's €0.00, for my fellow Europeans.
Take out ( like fast food)? Never
If I sit down in the restaurant, then I tip if I get good service.
No, they did nothing but their job.
What are tips? I ain't in the "freedom" land so don't know,
Extra money to the employee. It's supposed to be optional and a mark of good service, and typically was only wait staff/bartenders (for food service; there are other tipped jobs), but the hourly wage for said staff ended up becoming a fraction of the main wage and tips basically became required (in my day, $2.13/hour (though if, for example, we literally had no one come in, the company would make it up to the actual (non-tipped) minimum wage) versus I think around $7.15 an hour or something (it may have been less at the time). When I was a kid (1980s), we were always taught about 10-15% of the amount of the bill. These days, it's often cited as 20-25%. In some states, the server wage is still really, really low (a quick search shows Oklahoma (state) is still at $2.13 with non-tipped minimum wage at $7.25/hr).
Add to that that many of the wait/bar staff are also having to pay idiotically-high US health insurance plus the actual cost of healthcare and their employers may or may not have any contributions to the plan. Then more if they want silly things like vision and dental insurance. The whole thing is a trainwreck and one of the reasons I no longer live in the US.
This just made me not want to visit US ever. And especially not live in it.
Thanks for the eye opener.
If you did visit, you would also tip a taxi driver if you used a taxi, hotel staff if they take your bags to the room (edit: and, increasingly, the cleaning staff, but there's no set expectation on that yet), etc., etc. I just covered the food/beverage side, heh.
You are really trying to make it so I have even less will to even think about it ever.
Tnx.
No never, we're not a tipping culture.
Only exceptions are if you're taking a taxi or getting food delivered and you pay in cash, it's a dick move not to round up.
But no one uses cash any more even for that stuff, so that's kind of moot.
For pickup? No tip. There's no service provided. You are paying the listed price for the goods (food) you are receiving.
Delivery? 20% with a cap of $5
At a bar? 20% with a cap of $10
Sit down restaurant? 20% with a cap of $20
And furthermore, takeout workers are not defined as a tipped position legally and therefore their employer should be paying them an actual wage, not "waiter's wage," which is federally $2.13/hr. ("Should" and "is" obviously not always being the same thing.)
I am always wary of touch screens and other gizmoes popping up everywhere begging for tips in non-tipped counter situations. It is possible, indeed likely, that the tips are not going to the employees anyway and are just being pocketed by the management.
I hope you're not capping your sit down restaurant tips in America. Most more expensive places have waiters working far fewer tables so they can be more attentive, and they're also usually the cream of the crop waiter wise. The higher total tips but still a normal percentage are definitely what they need/deserve to make the longer meals and fewer tables make sense financially (assuming the service actually was good of course).
Note I'm not advocating for any of this "20% is the new baseline" bullshit, but you definitely shouldn't be capping your tips. Same goes for capping your bar tips unless you're talking about only pouring wine/drafts or opening beers, and then I'd still advocate a per drink cap of like a buck per - definitely not a total cap.
I absolutely am capping my tip in America. Even at an expensive restaurant. If there's a big party, or we've stayed longer than usual, then yes I'll pay more. But fuck anyone who thinks $20 is a bad tip for less than an hour of service. That's 20% on a $100 bill. I don't feel the server at a steakhouse is magically working harder to refill my water glass than a waitress at IHOP is. The premium is already factored into the price of the food. Paying strictly on a percentage basis is a completely fucked line of thinking that's led to the tipping nightmare we're in. Wake the fuck up and realize what you're advocating.
It's a question of opportunity cost. In order to be really attentive they work fewer tables, so they need to have higher margins to make up for lack of volume. If you can't afford a 15% tip, or 20% for good service, you shouldn't be eating at an expensive restaurant to begin with. That's the social compact in America, that's how it works. Until servers start being paid a living wage, you're not the arbiter of what constitutes paying "enough", you're just rejecting cultural norms and hurting servers so you can save a few bucks.
An alternative way to view this: if I order three sodas at a fancy restaurant vs three top shelf alcohols, the service is functionally the same but the bill is wildly different. Would you still say I should tip on pure percentage in the latter scenario?
You should because that's how tipping works. No one likes tipping (as a customer anyway, plenty of servers and owners do), but until servers are provided with a living wage that's how it works. You're not changing the system by tipping less - you're just being a dick.
And not for nothing, but there is a slight difference between soda service and a simple pour service. Actual liquor service usually comes with someone asking how you like it (e.g. on the rocks vs straight vs three drops of water) whereas a soda is just a soda. Sitting at a bar, no one is gonna get pissy if you're not tipping 15-20% on opening beers or straight pours, but that's just how table service works.
If they're working at a fancy restaurant, they're being paid a living wage.
I've heard legend of places that pay servers up to $5/hr!
You have clearly never worked in the service industry. They make the same sub minimum wage as every server unless there's a local ordinance otherwise.
Never. Not a thing.
Sweden.
It’s starting to become a thing, though.
Then refuse to tip. Tipping culture is fucking awful - if you can avoid feeding it then do... the only reason I tip in the US is because servers don't make a livable wage.
I tip 20% or $5 on takeout orders, whatever is larger (provided nothing goes terribly wrong). I have the means, and I remember how much I fucking hated working in retail. I depend on these people to feed me and I appreciate that they're willing to do it (especially with how poorly they get treated at times). If I can make someone's day better then it's worth it to me.
That being said, I hate tip culture and wish that the laws in my country around tipping would change. This is getting off topic now (since I think that the people doing takeout orders aren't subject to this), but it's absurd that we let restraunts pay $3.50 an hour if someone is making the rest of the minimum wage in tips. If I tip someone, I want it to be because I really appreciate what they did. I don't want to be paying their wages, they should be receiving a livable wage no matter what. I know that refusing to tip won't change that, so I just go along with it.
20% / $5 on true "takeout"? When you drive/walk there, go to the counter, wait, and leave with food?
I love the generosity and understand the point for appreciating workers, but that still sounds too generous for getting zero "service" and only getting food.
German here, I don't have to give anything.
If I am enlighted by service, or the food was really nice I tend to give 10/15%. Mind I am poor and expensive meals are like 45€, so giving 50€ for a good service and evening seems fine to me :)
Hate to break your bubble, but no man is poor who eats takeout for 45€. Thats 4x the price of an expensive meal in Hungary. We are talking about countries with similar grocery prices.
Don't mind the pop :)
The poor was more refering to my ability to give a tip and the range i can do it with. (And I would say poor, changes from country to country?)
Expensive dine outs like this are rare (sadly) The regular meal out in my region is between 8-15 € Home cooking is far cheaper
How is the range in your area in Hungary
My last grocery shop without expensive stuff for ½-1 week was 45 € which was ruff 😢
Aussie here. What's a tip? /s
I don't take out much but when i order home delivery i don't normally tip but if i don't have change and nor do they i tell them to keep the change .
Japan: no. Tipping culture can DIAF. ~ Us citizen (who spent a couple years as a tipped employee) living in Japan for the last nearly-10.
Absolutely not, I only tip waitors / waitresses or delivery people.
No. Sometimes I tip 3% if there’s an easy option and I paid credit. But usually 0% for takout
In take-out ? Never, is a thing in the US ?
In delivery, when the weather is bad, or the delivery was fast, I let 1 EUR to the delivery person
In restaurants, when the service was above average or I'm in a good mood, I let 1-2 EUR.
No it is not. However those electronics terminal would like you to tip everywhere.
I don't, unless something extraordinary happened.
They aren't $3/hr servers.
New York City.
The delivery guy is probably not making very much money. Looks like minimum wage for food service is $10, $15 for everyone else. They have to go out in the rain and snow, too.
I make a modest shitload of money. I am not going to notice the extra $7 tip I give the driver. They might.
I can understand if you're tight on money not wanting to tip extra. Fine. Make your own decisions. But people pulling in mid six figures can afford to share the wealth.
I tip for delivery as well. OP is taking about takeout, where I have to drive to the place and pick it up myself.
I realized some time after writing my post that I had misread the op. Woops.
I put money in the tip jar at a lot of places, like the pizza place on the corner.
The lady at the burrito place I used to go to told me not to bother tipping with my credit card, because they didn't actually get that money. I had to tip in cash.
Singapore here, we don't usually tip but it's sort of forced into the overall cost as a 10% service charge in certain restaurants. No tips on takeout but some places will charge you a couple of tens of cents for the takeaway container. This is usually for smaller cheaper stalls though, usually never happens at restaurants.
NO
I hate tipping culture so much. But I always tip on food service, even take out that I pick up. I'm not going to punish restaurant workers for our messed up system which pays them substandard "wages". During covid crisis I raised my tipping $ a bit, and haven't gone back down. Before covid I also tipped 10% on take out. Because I wanted my favorite restaurants to stay in business, I started tipping 20% for take out.
Canadian here. If I call in, pick it up then yeah, about 10 is my general go to. They're in my neighbourhood, I like them and I'll spend more than that on an unnecessary beer without thinking.
I've seen a lot of good places go under, I'll do my small part to help keep places I like in business. Admittedly, while I'm not rich a few extra bucks here and there to people busting their asses isn't a backbreaker. (Worked in kitchens, am not a hard enough worker for that ever again. Mad respect for those who do.)
I used to tip everytime when I got food to-go but recently I've completely stopped on to-go orders for 2 reasons.
It was getting annoying how much money it just keeps adding onto what should be a smallish purchase
I didn't realize until recently that if you tip through the card scanner or online or whatever the company that made the scanner or online processing takes a part of the tip. I didn't tip for you card processor I tipped for the employee.
Me, a non-american:
As in driving my own car, using my own gas, to pick up my order? No.
As a service industry worker, I wouldn't bother. We generally treat it as a "cool they left money for some reason".
I do for certain local mom and pop places because then they remember me and give me extra fries/rice/extras and orders seem to go a little faster. With a chain, nah.
If I'm picking it up then none.
Only during COViD. They put extra service by risking their health. Some sullen teenager standing behind the register while I pick up my bag has provided no service
Living samples of penicillium.
if i have to leave the car to get it no, otherwise I will do a small tip since they rendered a service bringing it to my car
None. I just pay in the app and choose a 0% tip. The thing is expensive already and I don't wanna waste money uselessly
I'll tip the next time I come around if I really liked their food/packaging/utensils/attitude/atmosphere USA
It really depends on what you're talking about. If it's dedicated counter staff no. If it's waitstaff that is on waitstaff wages(as in a waitress went to get your food), maybe. The former should actually be having a competitive wage to employ them. The later were hired on with the expectation that they work for tips. Counter staff getting tips that they don't even share with back of the house is kind of dumb.
Pretty much the same for me. If it’s basically fast-casual or microwave-warmups like Applebees, only if it’s a complex order.
If it’s someplace where the food is actually, cooked and it takes time and skill? Certainly
Low tip for takeout. Usually 10ish%. I'm also a high tipper at restaurants in general, food service in particular is shit work where you're treated badly and paid garbage. "It's not my responsibility to pay their employees" always sounded cheap to me. Either you can't afford it or you're cheap, if you claim to have any sympathy for minimum wage employees, you tip well. If you don't like tipping (because you're cheap or can't afford it, neither of which is wrong), you push for legal change and don't punish the fellow worker in front of you.
Same. Helping to trickle down, unlike actual rich people.
UK here.
Yes, 2 or 3 pound. Typically that's about 10%.
I refer to it as the lazy tax.
We don't tip here nor do we have takeout.
More annoying than just asking for a tip on in delivery or takeout, is asking for the tip first. At this point it is just a fee.
I only ever tip if it's raining or super cold when I'm ordering. Never a %, just 10 or 20 dkk (a couple bucks)
I simply let a Benjamin fall out of my pocket as I walk away from the takeout counter.
JK but it's based on a true story, when I was a waitress one wealthy traveling CEO left a $100 tip by "accidentally" dropping a $100 bill on the floor, for a $12 order. He was from Greece.
0-8%
US here, before COVID I would tip delivery drivers but not if I was picking it up. Now I tip 10-15% for takeout and 20%-25% for table service. I've also come to understand that checking your order, packing the bag, and including condiments or extras all take time and I've decided I'm ok tipping for that if it helps them earn a more decent living.
I tip $5-10 every time I order delivery. I do not order delivery unless I am sick or its shite weather and I cannot get my own food. I feel like if you are bringing me necessities in whatever condition it is you deserve to get a fair amount. If it was friends or family I would offer a case of beer, how is it different for a stranger.
I'm in the usa and I tip at least 20% no matter what. the food service industry is shit and I want to help the workers in a way that I can.
Then you should also campaign to get them better wages and to get rid of tipping, get to a better healthcare system to so the money they do get isn't sunk into that, as well as for doing something about crazy rents in some places.
How do we know that goes to the workers and not the head honcho?
I tip around 1-2€ depending how much change I've flying around. Never tipped through the app because I don't think this reaches the driver.
American here. $0-$5 cash tip for take out. Depends on the place/circumstances. I live in a high cost of living area as well.
I dont even tip when eating inside lol
if you're in the United States you get a tip like 50% otherwise the guys just fucked
I'm a sheep, if given the opportunity to tip, it's always at least 25%. I'm just worried the employees will hate me or do stuff to my food.