Everyday · 5 min read

How Much to Tip in the UK (2026 Guide for Every Situation)

In the UK, tipping is appreciated but not obligatory — the standard restaurant tip is around 10–12.5%, and many venues already add a discretionary service charge to the bill. Unlike the US, hospitality staff are paid the full minimum wage regardless of tips.

Tipping cheat sheet

• Sit-down restaurant: 10–12.5% (check if service is already added to the bill first)
• Pub (drinks at the bar): not expected — "and one for yourself" to the bartender is the traditional alternative
• Takeaway/delivery: not expected, though a small tip for delivery drivers is always appreciated
• Taxi/minicab: round up to the nearest pound, or 10% for longer journeys
• Hairdresser/barber: 10%, cash if possible
• Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag
• Tour guide: £2–5 per person for a half-day tour, more for private tours

The most important thing to check: is service already added?

Many UK restaurants, especially in cities, add a discretionary service charge of 10–12.5% directly to your bill. If you see this, you are not expected to tip again on top — doing so is generous but not customary. Always check the bill before adding a tip in cash or on a card machine, since double-tipping is a common mistake among visitors used to US norms.

What the new UK tipping law means for you

Since October 2024, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 requires employers to pass on 100% of tips, gratuities and service charges to staff without deductions, and to do so within one calendar month. Before this law, some venues legally kept a portion of "service charge" for themselves — that practice is now banned. Further changes are expected around October 2026, requiring employers to consult staff on their tipping policy and review it at least once every three years. In practice, this means a tip or service charge you leave in the UK today is more reliably reaching staff than it was even a couple of years ago.

Why UK tipping culture is so different from the US

UK hospitality workers earn the full National Minimum or National Living Wage regardless of tips — there is no lower "tipped minimum wage" as there is in the US. This is the core reason tipping in the UK has traditionally been a bonus for good service rather than an expected top-up to make up a shortfall in pay. Visitors from the US often over-tip out of habit; UK service staff won't be offended by a smaller tip, and 10% for good service is a genuinely generous, well-received amount.

Splitting the bill and tip in a group

When a group shares a table, splitting the tip evenly alongside the bill is the simplest approach, though calculating each person's fair share on drinks-heavy or wildly uneven orders takes more care. Our tip calculator splits both the bill and the tip across any number of people instantly, whichever method your group prefers.

When you genuinely don't need to tip

Counter service, fast food, coffee shops and self-service venues carry no expectation at all in the UK — the contactless card machine prompting a tip is a suggestion, not an obligation, and selecting "no tip" is completely normal and won't be seen as rude. Grocery delivery, most retail transactions and any fully automated or self-service interaction also fall outside UK tipping norms.

Tipping abroad from a UK perspective

If you're a UK resident travelling to the US, it's worth recalibrating: 18–20% is the US restaurant norm, well above UK habits, because American service staff can legally be paid as little as $2.13/hour with tips expected to make up the rest. See our full US tipping guide before your next trip to avoid under-tipping out of habit.

Recap

10–12.5% is a generous UK restaurant tip, and it's rarely expected outside restaurants, hairdressers and hotels. Always check whether service is already included before tipping again, and use the tip calculator to split any bill and tip fairly across a group.

Frequently asked questions