Picture this: You’re in an American coffee shop and the barista flips the screen over and says, “We’re just going to ask you one question”—the question being, “Add a tip?” with three pre-selected percentages. It’s disconcerting, even for Americans. What’s the norm here? Should you really tip $3 for a latte that already costs $7?
How much to tip in North and South America is rarely easy to figure out. Depending on where you are in the region, here's what you need to know.
Restaurants, bars and cafes
In the restaurants of the UNITED STATES And CanadaService charges are usually only added to the bill for parties of six or more. Waitstaff have a lower minimum wage than other industries, so tipping is expected (around 18-25% of the actual bill). In bars, it is customary to tip around $1 per drink, or 15-20% of the total bill. In American coffee shops, tipping baristas $1-2, or rounding up if your order is fairly simple, is always appreciated.
In Central And South American countries, including Mexico, Nicaragua, Argentina And PeruA service charge is usually added. However, if you want to tip your staff personally, 15-20% (in local currency or US dollars) is a good amount. In others like Brazil, Chile And Costa RicaRestaurants often include a 10% “sit down” surcharge (called a “covered” in Chile), which means that a tip is not expected, but around 5% will always be appreciated if you wish. Tipping in bars here is not the norm, but feel free to round up the total amount of the bill.
If you dine in the Caribbean (outside of a luxury resort), check the bill to see if the tip has already been included. If not, tip 15-20% in restaurants or round up the bill at a bar.
Hotel staff
In the United States and Canada, it is common to tip hotel staff, especially housekeeping staff. Expect to pay $3 to $5 per day for housekeeping staff and $1 per bag for porters. You are not required to tip if service was not provided or if service was limited.
A slightly lower tip in hotels in Central and South America is acceptable. US dollars are generally accepted (although local currency is preferred). For porters in countries such as Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Colombiaexpect the local currency equivalent of $1 per bag for porters and $1 to $2 per day for maintenance staff.
Particularly in South America, rural haciendas are popular accommodation options. They are usually run by a family of staff who cook, clean and maintain the gardens. It is therefore appreciated to leave a collective tip at the end of your stay of around $10-15 (or the equivalent in local currency) per person.
Tourist guides
When embarking on a tour package in the United States, Canada, or Colombia, you can expect similar tipping rules: around $10 to $20 in local currency for a tour guide per day and around $5 to $10 for a driver. As in Europe, guides and drivers are tipped separately.
In most Central and South American countries, tour guides are tipped around $5-10 (or the equivalent in local currency) for a day's work, while drivers are accustomed to receiving half that amount. Note that slightly different rules apply for Andes Trek and Inca Trail Porters. The wages of the burly local porters who carry your bags and camping gear along hiking routes, such as the Inca Trailare often included in a guided tour, but their truly invaluable work should not go untipped – around 15 to 20 nuevo soles per person per day is a good amount to give.
Brazil is an exception to the general tipping rule in South America (aside from Colombia). Here, professionals in the tourism industry rely heavily on tips, and more generous amounts are appreciated. Expect to pay around R$100-200 per day for a tour guide, and a little less for drivers. It's also worth noting that Brazilians are very discreet when it comes to business transactions, so don't make your tip too obvious!
Bus tours in the Caribbean are a popular way to see different parts of the island you are staying on. If you choose to ride one of these buses, it is customary to tip the driver a few US dollars. For private tour guides, tip around $20 per day and for drivers, tip around $10.
Taxi drivers
In the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, tipping taxi drivers around 10 to 15 percent of the fare is the norm, or a few dollar bills will suffice for short trips.
Taxi rides in Central and South America fall into two camps when it comes to tipping expectations. If you negotiated (or haggled) the fare before getting in the cab, don't worry about tipping unless you've formed a particularly strong bond with the driver. If the fare is fixed, feel free to round it up at the end of the ride.
