Etiquette and Tipping in the USA

American social rules are relaxed but tipping is not optional: it is how service workers get paid. Get tipping right and everything else is forgiving.

Tipping

Restaurants: 18 to 22 percent of the pre-tax bill for table service (20 percent is the safe default). Bars: $1 to $2 per drink. Taxis and rideshares: 15 to 20 percent. Hotel housekeeping: $3 to $5 per night. Tour guides: 15 to 20 percent.

Fast food, takeout counters and coffee shops: tipping is optional; the card reader will suggest 20 percent anyway. Tip jars are aspirational.

Service wages assume tips: the federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 an hour. Not tipping for table service is noticed and resented.

Everyday manners

Americans are friendly to strangers: small talk with cashiers and servers is normal. 'How are you?' is a greeting, not a question.

Queues are sacred; cutting in line draws immediate correction. Personal space is larger than in many countries: an arm's length.

Sales tax is added at the register, never in the displayed price: budget 5 to 10 percent extra depending on the state and city.