Should I Tip? An Australian Traveller’s Take on Tipping Around the World

Hello, my name is Josie. I am Australian and I (mostly) do not tip.

Tipping is one of those travel topics that can turn a perfectly reasonable online discussion into an argument in about three minutes.

Some people insist you should always tip because service workers rely on it. Others say you should never tip in a country where it isn’t part of the local culture.

And then there are those of us standing there with the bill, wondering whether we’re supposed to add 10%, 15%, 20% or nothing at all.

Coming from Australia, tipping simply isn’t something I think about very often at home. But when I travel, I know I can’t just take Australian habits with me and assume they apply everywhere else.

My general rule is pretty simple: do as the locals do.

If tipping is expected, I tip. If it isn’t customary, I don’t automatically add one just because I’m a tourist. And if someone has provided particularly good service, I’m happy to give a little extra where it’s appropriate.

This isn’t intended to be a definitive guide to tipping when travelling in every country in the world. It’s my take on tipping as an Australian traveller and how I deal with that occasionally awkward question:

Should I tip?

Tipping in Australia

Here in Australia, tipping is optional.

It is completely normal to pay the amount at the bottom of the restaurant bill, the fare shown in a taxi or rideshare app, or the price of your drink at a bar and not add anything extra.

That doesn’t mean Australians never tip. If we’ve had particularly good service, we might leave a little extra or simply round up the bill. There’s no standard percentage you’re expected to add.

Australia also has a relatively high minimum wage. From 1 July 2026, the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 AUD per hour, with most employees covered by awards that set minimum pay rates and conditions for particular industries and occupations.

That’s very different from countries where tipping forms an expected part of a service worker’s income.

Personally, I tip occasionally in Australia, but certainly not every time I receive a service.

If we have a fantastic meal and the staff have been particularly attentive or helpful, we might round up the bill. I sometimes do the same in a taxi or add a few dollars through a rideshare app after a good trip.

But I don’t routinely tip my hairdresser, hotel housekeeping staff, bartenders or cafe staff, and I don’t feel uncomfortable choosing “no tip” when a payment terminal asks me to add one.

Those prompts seem to be appearing more often in Australia, particularly with digital payments. Just because the machine asks whether you want to leave a tip doesn’t mean you’re expected to.

If you’re visiting Australia from a country with a strong tipping culture, you can relax about it. Pay the bill, say thank you and get on with enjoying your trip.

And if someone has gone above and beyond and you genuinely want to leave something extra, you can.

Why Tipping Overseas Can Be So Confusing

I think one of the reasons tipping causes so much debate is that we take the customs we grew up with for granted.

As an Australian, I’m used to looking at a menu, seeing a price and expecting to pay roughly that amount. I don’t automatically start calculating another 15 or 20% on top.

Put me somewhere where tax might be added to the advertised price and then I need to work out a tip as well, and suddenly paying for dinner feels much more complicated than it should be.

Of course, you can tell me to factor the extra amount into my budget from the beginning. And you’d be right.

But when you’ve spent your whole life not thinking about tips, it takes a conscious effort to change that habit.

The reverse is true too. Travellers from countries where tipping is expected can feel uncomfortable leaving nothing, even somewhere where tipping isn’t customary.

That’s why I think the easiest approach is to find out what’s expected in the country you’re visiting.

Sometimes that means leaving nothing. Sometimes it means rounding up the bill. And sometimes it means accepting that the price on the menu is not going to be the final amount you pay.

Tipping in the USA

The USA is the place where tipping makes me most nervous.

It’s not because I don’t want to pay the extra money. It’s because I’m never entirely confident I know who I’m supposed to tip, when I’m supposed to tip them and how much I’m supposed to give.

Tipping is much more deeply embedded in US service culture than it is in Australia, particularly in restaurants and bars. Depending on the state, employers may also be able to count tips towards meeting minimum wage requirements for tipped employees.

So when I’m in the US, I tip.

I just have to remind myself that the price I see on the menu isn’t necessarily what the meal is ultimately going to cost me. Depending on where I am, tax may be added to the bill and then there’s the tip on top of that.

I would much prefer to see the full price from the beginning. Tell me the drink costs $12 rather than showing me $10 and leaving me to work out the rest later!

But that’s me looking at the system through Australian eyes.

When I’m travelling, it’s not really about whether I think another country’s system is better or worse than ours. It’s about understanding how things work there and budgeting accordingly.

For table service in the US, 15–20% is a commonly recommended range, although tipping habits vary.

It’s also worth checking your bill before automatically adding a tip. Some restaurants may already include a gratuity or service charge, particularly for larger groups.

My solution is to accept that tips are part of my travel costs in the US and allow for them in my budget before I go.

I still find the whole thing confusing, though.

Tipping When Travelling

I’ve already said tipping scares me when going to USA or Canada, but what about elsewhere in the world?

Mostly, I do as I do in Australia, I don’t tip unless I get great service.

Sadly, as tourists, we are often on the end of requests for tips – I often wonder if I am mistaken for being American because I am also told that Australians are known to not be tippers.

I believe anyone with an American/Canadian accent is immediately targetted for tips.

I remember a particular story from an American girl in one of the FB travel groups I’m in saying she couldn’t understand why people were saying not to tip in Australia because everywhere she went she was asked to tip.

All I can think of is that people heard her American accent, and the mere suggestion of a tip felt like a demand and played on the guilt she was used to feeling when not tipping.

We’ve all heard the reasons for not tipping in a place where tips are not part of the local culture. It’s all about respecting the local practices.

Introducing tipping to a place where it’s not customary can set a new expectation. This might lead to a shift in how locals and future visitors are treated.

By tipping, you might be accidentally undermining the local efforts to create fair wage systems. It can sometimes create inequalities among service workers, especially in places where not all roles are visible or tip-eligible.

By refraining from tipping, you’re supporting a more equitable distribution of income among all staff.

If tipping isn’t part of the local customs, your gesture could also leave the receiver feeling awkward, confused, or even offended.

So if tipping is normal to you, think carefully when you travel to places that don’t tip. It’s better to not tip as a default, and add a few dollars for especially good service.

If, like me, you’re from a non-tipping country and go to the US (for example), then do as the locals do and tip everyone 20%. Add it to your budget before you go so you are not shocked when you come home.

What About Tipping Everywhere Else?

Of course, Australia and the USA are just two ends of a very big tipping spectrum.

In some countries, tipping is expected. In others, rounding up a bill is common but leaving a percentage isn’t. There are places where a small tip is appreciated but not required, and others where tipping simply isn’t part of the culture.

That’s why I don’t think there can be one tipping rule that works everywhere.

Before I travel somewhere new, I try to find out what the local custom is. I’m not looking for an exact list telling me I need to give the hotel porter this much, a taxi driver that much and a tour guide another amount.

I just want to know: is tipping generally expected here?

If it is, I’ll factor it into my travel budget. If it isn’t, I won’t automatically start handing out tips simply because I’m a tourist.

That doesn’t mean I never give someone a little extra. If I’ve had fantastic service, a guide has been particularly helpful or someone has gone out of their way to make my day easier, I’m happy to recognise that where it’s appropriate.

We spend a lot of time as travellers talking about respecting local customs. I think tipping should be treated the same way.

When a Small Tip Can Mean a Lot

There is another situation I sometimes think about when travelling: when a relatively small amount of money to me can be much more meaningful to the person receiving it.

I still don’t think that means we should automatically tip everyone simply because we’re travelling somewhere where our Australian dollar goes further.

But sometimes the circumstances make me want to give a little extra.

A few years ago in Bali, we hired a private driver for the day for 600,000 IDR.

As the day went on, he encouraged us to stay out and see the sunset, so it was well after dark by the time he was taking us back to our accommodation.

It was only just before he dropped us off that we discovered it was his wedding anniversary.

When it came time to pay, I added another 100,000 IDR and told him to buy his wife something nice. He had spent a long day showing us around and had encouraged us to make the most of it, despite it being his anniversary.

It was my way of saying thank you for such a great day.

That’s the sort of tipping I feel comfortable with.

Perhaps a tour guide has gone out of their way to give me useful suggestions for the rest of my trip. Maybe a driver has been particularly helpful, or someone has helped me navigate a situation I was struggling with.

In those situations, where tipping is culturally appropriate, I’m happy to give a little extra and explain why.

For me, that makes the tip what I want it to be: a genuine thank you for great service.

When Tipping Isn’t the Local Custom

There are also places where reaching for extra cash isn’t necessarily the right thing to do.

Japan is probably the best-known example. Tipping isn’t generally part of the culture there, and excellent service doesn’t come with an expectation that you’ll leave extra money behind.

Trying to tip can actually cause confusion.

This can feel strange if you come from a country where leaving a tip is almost automatic. You might have received fantastic service and genuinely want to show your appreciation.

But a tip isn’t the only way to say thank you.

A sincere thank you, being polite and respectful, leaving a positive review or recommending a business to other travellers can also show your appreciation.

And Japan isn’t the only place where you shouldn’t assume a tip is necessary.

This is why it’s worth spending a couple of minutes checking the tipping culture before visiting a new country.

Knowing that you don’t need to tip can be just as useful as knowing that you do.

So, Should I Tip?

So, should you tip when you travel?

My answer is: it depends where you are.

I don’t think we should travel around the world applying our own country’s tipping habits everywhere we go.

If tipping is expected, then I tip, even if I do find it annoying and uncomfortable.

If it isn’t part of the local culture, I don’t feel obliged to leave something extra. And where tipping is appropriate, I’m happy to recognise someone who has provided particularly good service.

A quick check of the local tipping customs before you travel can save you from that awkward moment when the bill arrives and you suddenly realise you have absolutely no idea what you’re supposed to do.

I’m still Australian. I still mostly don’t tip.

But when I travel, I do as the locals do.

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