Tipping

I think the use of contactless cards has changed the way one might have tipped in a cab. Instead of just rounding up to the nearest pound in a chat with the driver, you are using a machine and tapping a card.

In restaurants you will want to check to see if a service fee has already been included. I don’t think the basic advice about tipping has changed for the UK. The big change is the almost cashless nature of transactions.

ricks tipping guidance

A loaded subject, but here goes my take for the UK and London.

Generally little tipping. At a pub, you get your beer/drinks from the bar, even order food at the bar, no tipping required and most natives would not tip. If the pub, or at a restaurant, has a separate area with table service, then tipping is kind of expected, about 10%. However contactless and even general credit card slips that you might sign rarely have a line for tips, but in London, you will often see a "service charge" of around 10% added to the bill. This charge is able to be declined if you wish.

Most people tip cab drivers a GBP or two, again, if using a card, the tip would need to be in cash.

Besides that, I suppose if you do a privately guided tour, you might tip, but little else requires tips. Of course many coming from the US will drop cash on anyone they run into, and like most of Europe, places frequented by Americans will find people angling for tips.

Nothing has changed on the "where and how much to tip", it still isn't neccessary but as an American you are likely to be viewed as a cash cow by some due to the inability of most Americans to leave the excessive tipping culture at home. It's good advice to check for the insidious 'optional' service charge that's becoming more and more popular. Call me old fashioned but surely part of the reason eating out is more expensive than eating at home is because you were paying to have the food cooked and served to you!

I agree with all the above.

Tipping a barber (a pound at most) is distinctly optional, a hairdresser likes tips (maybe a fiver or less, but much more at the posh ones) but doesn't always get one.

Great advice and helps a lot. Thanks everyone!

If you really feel the need to tip while using contactless, just tell them the total amount to charge your card. (First check to make sure the server gets that and it doesn't go to the restaurant. In most cases, the server will bring the charge machine to you.)

If you are in an establishment that caters to tourists they will probably expect a tip but again, follow the input from the locals.

Yes nothing has changed in that tips are welcome but not expected.

Service charges though are not tips going directly to the staff unless explicitly stated as such. Otherwise they are just discretionary charges going to the owner / manager. This is done to reduce what seems to be the real cost at first glance. You can decline these but for most this is an unwanted hassle.

A couple of restaurants have started using a thing called Tipjar.

You pay the actual cost of the meal with your card, then you use an app called Tipjar to leave a tip that is apparently distributed to the staff.

But be warned: I left a £2 tip on a £20 bill via the app, and noticed it added 23p as an administration charge.

But be warned: I left a £2 tip on a £20 bill via the app, and noticed it added 23p as an administration charge

So when you tipped, you wound up tipping the tipper app!.

In a few places, the contactless reader had a screen for ‘add a gratuity’, you can skip this by clicking no. But, those were only in the most heavily touristed areas of London.

Otherwise, I continued with not tipping unless there was a ‘service charge’ and there was also indication it went to the staff.

This was as of early May 2022