[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ custom_padding=”|10vw||10vw|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”|5vw||5vw|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”|1vw||1vw|false|true” z_index_tablet=”500″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.26.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.5.7″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justify” text_text_align=”justify”]<\/p>\n

When arriving in any new country, tipping is one of the first culture considerations. How much? What\u2019s the etiquette? How can I avoid an awkward faux pas on my first night here?<\/p>\n

Tipping often seems like a minefield of unwritten rules which you don\u2019t want to get wrong for fear of offending the locals. Offering gratuities in Germany can be a minefield at first. It\u2019s different to the UK and VERY different to the norms in the US and Canada.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How does tipping in Germany work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

While this article focuses on Germany, the same advice will also apply in most situations in Austria and in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s take a look at common situations you might find yourself in, and discuss how to tip without being over-generous or seeming tight-fisted.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.26.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.26.6″][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/JzrAHf9HJOI” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ width=”75%” width_tablet=”85%” width_phone=”95%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” module_alignment=”center” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”10px” box_shadow_vertical=”10px” box_shadow_blur=”12px” box_shadow_spread=”1px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.6)”][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.26.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Taxi drivers” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justify” text_text_align=”justify”]<\/p>\n

Taxi Drivers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s normal to round up your fare to the nearest euro if it\u2019s a fairly short trip.
More than that is unnecessary unless you see fit and the service was particularly considerate or friendly.<\/p>\n

As a rule of thumb, I will normally round up anything below \u20ac10 to the nearest Euro and anything below \u20ac20 to the nearest Euro +1.<\/p>\n

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Hairdressers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve not set foot inside a barber\u2019s shop for over 15 years and my only experience of hairdressers since then has been meeting girlfriends after their salon appointment.<\/p>\n

However, I am reliably informed by my female friends that a 5% tip is considered normal for pleasant hairdressing experience.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Hotels” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justify” text_text_align=”justify”]<\/p>\n

Hotels<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bellboys and concierges are only a fixture at the most exclusive hotels in Germany, so the conundrum surrounding what to tip them will not be an issue for 95% of people reading this.<\/p>\n

For housekeeping staff, if you\u2019re only staying for a couple of nights then typically no tip is expected. For longer stays in tourist resorts, leaving a tip is not expected but certainly well appreciated.<\/p>\n

With room service, it\u2019s normal to leave a small tip to the person who brings your meal.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Bar staff” _builder_version=”4.6.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justify” text_text_align=”justify”]<\/p>\n

Waiting Staff<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In sit-down environments such as a restaurants, bistros or bars with table service, if you\u2019re happy with the service and your order, it\u2019s usual to tip around 10%<\/p>\n

If service is poor, or if the food is bad, then not leaving a tip will give them a clear message.<\/p>\n

For groups, if you are paying the bill all together (zusammen) rather than individually (getrennt), then a maximum tip of around \u20ac15 for the whole table is usually the norm. Which goes some way towards explaining why waiting staff are happy to split bills, even if they are run off their feet\u2026.a group of 10 people each tipping a couple of euro each is significantly more lucrative than a group bill!<\/p>\n

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Bar Staff<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re sitting or standing at a bar ordering drinks, for example in a classic Pilsstube, it is not expected for you to leave a tip other than perhaps rounding up to the nearest euro (or couple of euro if you\u2019ve consumed several drinks).<\/p>\n

Being served drinks at a table is different. Sit down drinks service follows the same tipping etiquette as being served in a restaurant.<\/p>\n

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How to Leave the Tip<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Usually, when the waiter or waitress comes to take your bill, you tell them out loud the amount you\u2019re going to pay in total, including the tip.<\/p>\n

As an example, let\u2019s say the bill for your meal and drinks comes to \u20ac18.50 and you want to tip \u20ac1.50 to round it up to \u20ac20. You would tell the waiter\/waitress \u201c\u20ac20 (zwanzig) bitte\u201d. If you have the exact amount you want to pay in cash, then signal that by saying \u201cstimmt so\u201d when handing them the note and they will know not to give you change.<\/p>\n

You might notice waiters and waitresses carrying large wallets around with them. This is for two reasons:<\/p>\n

Firstly, many establishments in Germany don\u2019t accept credit cards, except for higher-end places in major tourist destinations and hotels. Therefore waiting staff need to carry cash.<\/p>\n

Secondly, each waiter is responsible for their float and balance, and it\u2019s therefore their responsibility to settle up with the establishment at the end of their shift.<\/p>\n

Tips are rarely collectively shared between all staff, although some places will earmark a percentage of the waiting staff\u2019s tips for the bartenders and kitchen staff.<\/p>\n

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Exceptions to the Rule<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The \u201crules\u201d above for tipping in Germany don\u2019t apply to any kind of counter service fast-food restaurant such as McDonald\u2019s, Subway and the like. You\u2019re not expected to tip in this kind of establishment.<\/p>\n

You also don\u2019t need to tip in chain restaurants such as Vapiano which have a cashless, self-service ordering system (known in Germany as Systemgastronomie). The logic here being, tip for what exactly?<\/p>\n

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A Note for the North Americans<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve visited and travelled extensively in the US & Canada and I get that tipping is part of the culture there, regardless of service level to a great extent.<\/p>\n

In Germany, tips are smaller, and more dependent on a good level of service.<\/p>\n

German serving staff don\u2019t need your tip as much as they do in North America. The fundamental difference being that bar and waiting staff here are paid a wage that they can live off.<\/p>\n

So while tipping in Germany is polite, and very much expected, service industry staff aren\u2019t as dependent on tips to make ends meet.<\/p>\n

On the bright side, you won\u2019t have servers here robotically saying \u201chave a nice day\u201d every time you buy something!<\/p>\n

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Looking for helpful content on another topic?<\/h4>\n

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When arriving in any new country, tipping is one of the first culture considerations. How much? What\u2019s the etiquette? How can I avoid an awkward faux pas on my first night here? Tipping often seems like a minefield of unwritten rules which you don\u2019t want to get wrong for fear of offending the locals. Offering […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48529,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\u00a0\r\n

What Is The Etiquette For Tipping In Germany?<\/h2>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nUsually one of the first considerations of cultural awareness when just arriving<\/a> in a new country for the first time,\u00a0tipping in Germany<\/strong>\u00a0falls into this bucket and has an etiquette of its own. It can often seem that tipping has a minefield of unwritten rules which you don't want to get wrong in fear of offending the locals, Different to the UK and VERY<\/strong> different to the norms in the United States and Canada. We take a look at common situations you will find yourself in, and what are seen as \"normal\" tips in these scenarios without being over-generous or unwittingly tight-fisted.\r\n\r\nWhile this article considers Germany, the same also applies in most situations in Austria and in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.\r\n\r\nIf you don't have time to read the post, why not watch the video instead! And while you're at it, please subscribe to our channel<\/a><\/strong> on YouTube.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JzrAHf9HJOI\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

Taxi Drivers<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n

<\/a>It's normal to round up your fare to the nearest Euro if it's a fairly short trip. More than that is unnecessary unless you see fit and the service was particularly considerate or friendly. As a rule of thumb, I will normally round up anything below \u20ac10 to the nearest Euro and anything below \u20ac20 to the nearest Euro +1. Longer trips such as an airport pick-up, especially if I am thankful for the driver turning up on time for early morning flights, then I would round up to the nearest \u20ac5. If the driver uses his mobile phone whilst driving or drives dangerously, it's perfectly OK to not leave anything in the hope that the driver gets the message.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n

Hairdressers<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nI've not set foot inside a barber's shop for over 15 years and my only experience of hairdressers since then has been meeting girlfriends after their salon appointment. However, I am reliably informed by my female friends that a 10% tip is considered normal for pleasant hairdressing experience.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

Hotels<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nBellboys and concierges are only a fixture at the most exclusive hotels in Germany, so the conundrum surrounding what to tip them will not be an issue for 95% of people reading this. For housekeeping staff, if you're only staying for a couple of nights then typically it is not normal to tip. For longer stays in tourist resorts then leaving a tip is not expected but certainly well appreciated.\r\n\r\nRoom service is normal to leave a small tip to the person who is bringing your meal. It can be difficult though if you're charging it to your room on business expenses, unless you're happy to give them a couple of Euro in change out of your own pocket.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

Bar Staff<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n<\/a>If you're sat or stood at a bar ordering drinks, for example in a classic Pilsstube<\/em>,\u00a0and the barman is just pouring your drinks and putting them on the bar, it is not expected for you to leave a tip other than perhaps rounding up to the nearest Euro (or couple of Euro if you've spent an evening in there being served by the same person). Being served drinks at a table is different, and there the same etiquette applies to restaurants and \"sit-down\" places and serving staff in these establishments will expect to be treated like waiters.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

Waiting Staff<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n<\/a>In a sit-down environment such as a restaurant, bistro or bar with table service, it is usual to tip around 10% if service has been polite and efficient and the food has been acceptable. If service is poor, or if the food is bad, then not leaving a tip will give them a clear message. In a situation where it is genuinely not the waiting staff's fault, for example if the food is poor quality or the place is chronically understaffed, then if possible, politely explain this to the waiter or waitress so as they don't take it personally.\r\n\r\nFor groups, if you are paying the bill all together (zusammen)<\/em> rather than individually (getrennt)<\/em>, then a maximum tip of around \u20ac15 for the whole table is usually the norm. Which goes some way towards explaining why waiting staff are happy to split bills, even if they are run off their feet....a group of 10 people each tipping a couple of Euro each is significantly more lucrative than a group bill!\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

How To Leave The Tip<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nThe usual way to do it is to ask for the bill, then check the amount and then work out in your head what you're going to tip them. When they come, tell the waiter\/waitress out loud the amount in total, including the tip.\r\n\r\nFor example, your meal and drinks comes to \u20ac18.50 and you want to tip \u20ac1.50 to round it up to \u20ac20. You would then tell the waiter\/waitress \"\u20ac20 (zwanzig) bitte\". If you have the exact amount you want to pay in cash, then signal that by saying \"stimmt so\" when handing them the note and they will know not to give you change.\r\n\r\nPaying with anything higher than a \u20ac50 note may irritate waiting staff, unless you're in a group and you are paying together.\r\n\r\n<\/a>You will notice waiters and waitresses carrying large wallets around with them. This is for two reasons: Firstly, very few establishments which are not chain restaurants take credit cards<\/a>, except for higher-end places in major tourist destinations and hotels. Therefore waiting staff need to lug cash around. Secondly, each waiter is responsible for their float and balance, and it's therefore their responsibility to settle up \/ cash up with the establishment at the end of their shift. Tips are rarely collectively shared between all staff, although some\u00a0places will earmark a percentage of the waiting staff's tips for the bar tenders and kitchen staff.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

Exceptions to the Rule<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nExceptions to the \"rules\" above for tipping in Germany are any kind of fast-food restaurant such as McD's, Subway and the like where it is counter service. There you would never tip.\r\n\r\nFor chain restaurants such as Vapiano and similar concepts, known in Germany as Systemgastronomie,<\/em> where they have a cashless, cafeteria-style ordering system and you pay at the till at the end, it is also not expected to tip. The logic being, tip for\u00a0what<\/em> exactly, if nobody has been your personal server, waiter or bar tender.\r\n\r\nKebab places and Asian wok \/ noodle bar type fast food establishments would run on something in between. You're not in the same service environment as a restaurant but somebody may bring your food to you at a table, even if you order and pay at the counter. So rounding up to the nearest Euro is pretty normal in those instances.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n

A Note For The North Americans<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nI've visited and travelled extensively in the US & Canada and I \"get\" that tipping is part of the culture there, regardless of service level to a great extent. The fundamental difference between the North American tipping culture and how it works in Germany is that bar and waiting staff here are paid the legal minimum wage<\/a>. So while tipping in Germany is very much expected in bars, restaurants, taxis and hairdressing salons, it is not something that people need to buy food and pay their rent. Hence it's usually a couple of Euro rather than 20 or more percent of the bill.\r\n\r\nLooking on the bright side, you won't have servers here robotically saying \"have a nice day\" every time you buy something!\r\n\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>\r\n\r\nSave<\/span>Save<\/span>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[261],"tags":[166],"class_list":["post-2247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-guides","tag-tipping-in-germany"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2247"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48530,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247\/revisions\/48530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveworkgermany.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}