Shocking U.S. Tipping Culture: $5 for Luggage, $5 for the Bed?! Even Locals Are Struggling!

【Restaurants】tips added to expensive dining bills even cafés and self-checkout counters request tips!?

For Japanese travelers, tipping at restaurants is perhaps the most confusing aspect. Travel guidebooks often provide vague guidelines, such as 15–20% of the bill or twice the tax amount (18% in New York).

“In New York recently, the tipping standard seems to be around 20–25%. Many restaurants have credit card payment terminals where you select the tip amount, and some start at ‘22%.’ Most places offer three options, like ‘18% / 20% / 25%,’ along with a custom tip option.

With rising food prices, tip amounts have also increased. In general, restaurant staff rely on tips as their main source of income. In high-end restaurants, servers can earn around 150,000 yen per night. Also, if you check your coat, tipping just one dollar per item might not be enough anymore.”

Moreover, the tipping culture has expanded beyond restaurants to cafés. When the writer visited a major café chain in New York last December, they were surprised to see a tip screen appear at checkout. Even locals who have lived there for years find this strange.

“Tipping is supposed to be for service, but now even Starbucks prominently displays tip options when you order and pay. It often pressures you to choose from ‘18% / 20% / 25%,’ though there is a ‘NO TIP’ button. However, pressing that in front of the cashier can feel awkward.”

Interestingly, many locals, especially younger people, don’t hesitate to tip at cafés.

Café tipping is often not mentioned in travel guidebooks. Of course, customers can select “NO TIP” at the register, and tipping isn’t as mandatory as in restaurants. However, even when ordering coffee through an app or using a self-checkout, a tip option still appears.

Bar tipping: From $1 per drink to $15–$20 per drink!?

After the pandemic, the U.S. economy has rapidly recovered, and inflation shows no signs of slowing down. Having visited the West Coast, Hawaii, and now New York after the pandemic, the author was struck by how expensive everything had become—not just tipping but also hotels, restaurants, cafes, transportation, and admission fees for tourist attractions. The difference in prices compared to Japan was overwhelming.

New York’s cost of living, in particular, is on another level. A long-time resident of the city confirmed, “The tipping rates have definitely gone up.”

“Restaurant tipping at 25% is on the higher end, but tipping in general has increased significantly since the pandemic ended. In the past, there was a custom of tipping $1 per cocktail at bars, but now, a single cocktail in Manhattan can cost $15–$20. With tax and tip added, having just one drink after work has become quite difficult.”

Additionally, the U.S. is even more cashless than Japan, with credit cards being widely used everywhere. While it’s easy to add a tip when paying at restaurants or in taxis, tipping hotel staff such as housekeeping, doormen, or concierges is still typically done in cash. Even long-time residents sometimes find themselves in a pinch when they don’t have cash on hand.

Since tipping is not a custom in Japan, travelers unfamiliar with tipping etiquette and amounts may feel confused upon arrival in the U.S. Some people have shared experiences of either forgetting to tip or giving too little and receiving unpleasant reactions. However, tipping is not mandatory—it is a gesture of appreciation for good service, and there is certainly no need to tip if the service was unsatisfactory.

Beyond just tipping, many aspects of post-pandemic travel have changed significantly. The common sense of pre-pandemic travel no longer always applies, so travelers relying on guidebooks should be cautious.