For those of you who haven’t really understood the ins and outs of leaving tips, here is a short “Rule of Thumb” guide for people living in the Unites States. The reason this is only for the United States, is that different regions in the world have differing opinions on tips, the amounts, and even whether they are legal or not.

Photo Credit: brockvicky

So starting off, here are some benchmarks on tips:

Restaurants

This isn’t as simple as it may look. Many restaurants charge a service fee, and so tipping the waiters might be  a little above what is correct. Also remember that you are charged tax on the bill. The commonly accepted practice is to give 15% of the bill minus service charge, and taxes.

Wine

It is commonly understood that the markup prices for wine can be 200% - 300% of the cost of the wine. Tipping in this case, is understood to be less than for other foods - Usually 5% of the wine bill

At a Bar

You will want to tip the bartender if he or she shows you particular consideration, and gives you quick service even when the bar is full. Give as much as you think the extra service is worth. It can be quite a lot.

Home Delivered Food

The standard is 10%. If the delivery boy has to travel through rain, or other bad weather, it is customary to give more.

Keep in mind that some restaurants forbid you from giving tips at all!