Americans, do you ever feel like the expectation to tip every worker you encounter has spun out of control? When baristas expect 20% to shove a muffin across the counter at you, or when you have to bus your own tray but your cashier still expects an honorarium for merely collecting your payment, it's only natural to feel like something has gone awry.
And something has gone awry. Across the United States, wages have not kept pace with the cost of living. If you don't tip, the people serving you may not have enough in their paychecks to live.
Far too many U.S. employers place the burden of properly paying workers onto customers, so tipping has become more than a matter of expressing satisfaction—it's a way to ensure service workers have enough to get by.
There are very few countries where the culture of tipping is as complex, hard for foreigners to grasp, and brutal for workers as in the U.S. There are also places, such as in parts of Egypt and India, where centuries of vast wealth inequality have fostered a system where a little baksheesh is frequently expected to make things happen at all.
But then there are other countries where it's assumed that the price of every transaction already covers all your costs and where the financial needs of workers are built into the price you see.
Try traveling to one of these countries where tipping isn't expected.
Australia
As the Frommer's guidebooks put it, "Tipping is not expected in Australia, but it is always appreciated. ... Some passengers round up to the nearest dollar in a cab, but it’s okay to insist on every bit of change back." Many people add 10% to restaurant bills, but that's entirely voluntary and servers' livelihoods do not depend on receiving tips.
Belgium
In Belgium, restaurants and taxis already include the necessary service fees.
Brazil
Restaurant and hotel bills in Brazil have service fees built in. In fact, "If service has been particularly bad you can request to have the 10% removed from your bill," our online guide explains. Customers might round up to the next whole number when paying a taxi fare, but mostly that's done to facilitate easy change.
China
You don't have to, but as Frommer's guides note: "The Chinese do not tip, but those used to dealing with foreigners ... are familiar with tipping and are unlikely to refuse it if offered."
Denmark
If you knew how well Danish service workers are taken care of without added gratuities, you'd ask them to tip you.
French Polynesia (Tahiti)
"Tipping is considered contrary to the Polynesian custom of hospitality," per our guide, but local tourism workers are used to foreigners who do tip, so there may be a blank space for gratuities on your credit card bills that you won't be obligated to fill.
Iceland
It's not expected. It's only appreciated.
Japan
Leaving tips simply isn't a thing. "Not even to waitresses, taxi drivers, or bellhops," as the Frommer's guidebooks put it. "If you try to tip [those workers], they'll probably be confused or embarrassed."
Malaysia
It's not expected, although bellhops might get RM2–RM5 per bag.
New Zealand
Tips are not a linchpin of survival for Kiwi workers; gratuities should only be given for extraordinary service.
Singapore
Frommer's guides: "It is not the norm here. A gratuity is automatically added into guest checks, but servers rarely see any of it." You might tell people to keep the change, but that's about it.
South Korea
Required service charges will already be added to your bills.
Switzerland
Sensibly, Switzerland has a law that requires all service fees to be included in quoted prices. "Tipping isn’t necessary, but it is appreciated," Frommer's guides advise. "A confused server might chase you to return your money, thinking you actually forgot your change."
If you're in a place where tipping is part of the culture, of course you should meet your obligations and tip—or don't begin the transaction at all. In our view, you can't withhold tips just because you're weary of paying gratuities. But if you're in a place where tipping isn't much of a thing, you have to deal with dissatisfaction the old-fashioned way: by telling a manager.
But wouldn't it be nice to go somewhere without an expectation to tip? Where you can rest assured that the service workers you meet won't lose their homes if you neglect to toss another 20% onto the bill? A place where the price for services rendered covers all the business owners' expenses rather than just a fraction?
Photo above: A cafe in Copenhagen, Denmark
