Picture this: you're in a US coffee shop, and the barista flips around the screen and says, "It's just going to ask you a question" – the question being, "Add a tip?" with three pre-selected percentages. It's baffling, even for Americans. What's the norm here? Should you actually tip $3 for what's already a $7 latte?
The amount you should tip across North and South America rarely has a straightforward answer. Depending on where you are in the region, here's what you should know.
Restaurants, bars and coffee shops
In restaurants in the USA and Canada, a service charge is typically only added to the bill for parties of six or more. Waitstaff make a lower minimum wage than in other industries, so tipping is expected – around 18-25% is the norm these days. In bars, tipping around $1 per drink, or 15-20% of the total bill, is customary. Tipping baristas $1-2 in US coffee shops, or rounding up if your order is fairly simple, is always appreciated.
In Central and South American countries, including Mexico, Nicaragua, Argentina and Peru, a service charge is more commonly added. However, if you want to tip your waitstaff personally, between 15-20% (in local currency or US dollars) is a good amount. In others like Brazil, Chile and Costa Rica, restaurants will often include a 10% "sit-down" charge (known as "cubierto" in Chile), meaning that a tip is not expected, but around 5% will still be appreciated if you'd like to give it. Tipping in bars here isn't the norm, but feel free to round up the overall bill.
If you're dining in the Caribbean (outside of a fancy resort), check the bill to see if the gratuity has already been included. If not, tip 15-20% in restaurants or round up the bill at a bar.
Hotel staff
Leaving tips for hotel staff in the USA and Canada, particularly housekeeping staff, is common practice. Around $3-5 a day for housekeeping staff is a good amount, and $1 per bag for porters. You are not obligated to tip if there has been no service or limited service.
Tipping slightly less in Central and South American hotels is fine. US dollars are usually accepted (although local currency is preferred). For porters in countries including Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Colombia, go with the local currency equivalent of $1 per bag for porters and $1-2 a day for housekeeping staff.
Particularly in South America, rural haciendas are popular accommodation options. These are usually tended by a family of staff who will cook, clean and maintain the gardens, so leaving a pooled tip at the end of your stay of around $10-15 (or the local currency equivalent) per guest is appreciated.
Tour guides
When embarking upon an organized tour in the USA, Canada or Colombia, you can expect similar tipping etiquette – about $10-20 in local currency for a tour guide per day, and around $5-10 for a driver. As in Europe, both guides and drivers are tipped separately.
In most Central and South American countries, tour guides are tipped around $5-10 (or the local currency equivalent) for a day's work, while drivers are accustomed to receiving half that. Note that slightly different rules apply for Andes Trek and Inca Trail porters. The wages of brawny local porters who lug your bags and camping equipment along hiking routes, such as the Inca Trail, are often included in a guided tour, but their truly invaluable work shouldn't go untipped – around 15-20 nuevo soles per person, per day, is a good amount to give.
The exception to the general South America tipping rule (aside from Colombia) is Brazil. Here, tourism industry professionals rely heavily on tips, and more generous amounts are appreciated. Think around 100-200 reals for a tour guide per day and slightly less for drivers. It's also worth noting that Brazilians are very discreet when it comes to business transactions, so don't make your generous tipping too obvious!
Caribbean bus tours are a popular way to see different parts of whichever island you're staying on, and if you choose to hop aboard one, tipping the driver a few US dollars is customary. For private tour guides, tip about $20 a day and for drivers, around $10.
Taxi drivers
In the USA, Canada and the Caribbean, tipping taxi drivers about 10-15% of your fare is the norm, or a couple of dollar bills will suffice for short journeys.
Taxi rides in Central and South America fall into two camps when it comes to tipping expectations. If you've pre-negotiated (or haggled) the fare before getting into the taxi, don't worry about tipping unless you formed a particularly strong bond with the driver. If the fare is fixed, feel free to round it up at the end of the journey.
