Tipping doesn’t have to be complex. Most people know the standard 15 to 20 percent for a restaurant server, but what about other scenarios like a delivery food driver or a hair stylist? This guide explains how much to tip in most scenarios, but keep in mind that you can always tip more for exceptional service.

Food 

There’s a saying that if you can’t afford to tip, you shouldn’t go out to eat. Good food service always deserves a tip because most restaurant employees make under minimum wage and work hard to provide you with a good experience.

Hosts 

There’s typically no need to tip your host unless they can seat you at a particular table you requested during a busy time. In this case, you should consider tipping them $5–$10 for their service.

Sit-down service 

All waitstaff should be tipped 15–20 percent of your bill at a minimum. If you ordered something small like a drink and fries, you should still tip a few dollars for taking up a table in their section. As for bartenders, leave $1–2 per drink. 

Food delivery 

Many restaurants are already understaffed, so it’s kind to leave a 10–15 percent tip for drivers leaving the restaurant to deliver your food. If you use an app like DoorDash or Grubhub, you should leave around ten percent of your bill to help your driver with gas money. 

Takeout 

If you pick up a takeout order, be sure to leave a tip. The cooks and staff are still working hard to ensure your order is correct and ready on time. Leave a few dollars in a tip jar or on the receipt. 

Home services 

When it comes to taking care of your home, hiring the right people for the job is essential. Be sure to tip your home service workers appropriately to show your appreciation.

Lawn, pool, and housekeeping

It can be tricky to decide whether to tip housekeeping, lawn care, or pool care professionals. It depends on if you see the same person each, if it’s a different person each time, and if they work for a company or own it. If it’s the same person and someone who owns the company, tip them $5–10 each visit. If it’s a different person each time and they work for a company, they’re likely making an hourly wage and don’t see much of what you pay. In that case, tip 15–20 percent.

If it’s their first visit and they do difficult work to clear your yard or scrub particularly dirty areas, be sure to tip them 25–30 percent so they know you appreciate their extra effort and you want them to return.

Movers 

If you hire movers, it’s suggested that you pay each mover around $40 for a full day’s work. If you only hire the movers for a few hours, you should pay them each $10 per hour.

Travel 

During the hustle and bustle of traveling, it can be easy to forget to tip those who help make your experience memorable and comfortable along the way.

Hotel room cleaning 

It’s customary to tip about $5 per day of your stay when you leave. So if you stayed for four days, you would tip around $20.

Bellhop

Although bellhops aren’t as common as they once were, if a hotel employee helps with your bags, be sure to give them a few dollars. If you have particularly heavy luggage and they carry it into your room for you, add a few more dollars. Anything from $5–10 can be appropriate.

Valet parking 

If you’re lucky enough to encounter valet parking, be sure to tip them around $5 when they return your car at the end of your visit. There’s not a lot of guidelines available for valet tipping, so use your discretion depending on the service quality and how busy they are.

Beauty and wellness 

Treating yourself to a quality haircut, manicure or pedicure, or a massage is all part of a good self-care routine. However, these services are luxuries to some, and you should allot money for a tip. If you need to, ask ahead of time how much the service costs so you can have cash ready.

Hair and nails

Like restaurant workers, some nail and hair professionals make under minimum wage. As such, you should tip them 20–25 percent. The reason for the higher tip rate is that some of them have to purchase their own hair or nail products out of pocket, so it’s kind to give them extra cash to support their inventory.

Massage 

Massage therapists typically make half the amount of the massage cost, so take about half the cost of your massage and tip that amount. For example, if a massage costs $60, you would tip $25–30. This helps the massage therapist recover the money they give back to the business they practice at. If they’re self-employed, leave the same amount as self-employment taxes can be high.

Don’t tip 

There are a few instances in which tipping is inappropriate and unethical for the receiving party to accept.

Teachers and coaches 

As much as you want to show your appreciation to your child’s teacher or coach, it could send the wrong message that you’re paying them to show your child favoritism in the classroom or on the field.

Doctors and nurses 

Let your insurance pay your doctors and nurses, so you can worry about paying for your insurance. It is unethical for medical professionals to accept tips, as it could impact their ability to take care of all patients equally.

Accountants

If you pay an accountant to do your taxes, they’re already making money from their fees. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants outlines that accepting gifts from clients is generally not allowed so that they can do fair work to audit or calculate the correct amount of taxes without feeling persuaded to lie.