How to calculate a tip in a foreign currency
Work the tip out in the local currency, not your own. Multiply the bill by the percentage, or type the bill plus the percentage into a calculator with a % key: 62 euros + 10% is 68.20 euros. Then convert the total if you want to know what it costs you at home.
Before any of that, check the bill. In many countries service is already included.
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Step by step
- Look for a service charge line on the bill.
- Pick a percentage that fits local custom, or skip the tip if service is included.
- In Currency Offline, type the bill and the tip: 62+10%.
- Press = to see the total in the local currency and in yours.
- Round to an amount that's easy to pay in local cash or on the card.
Check whether service is already included
Look for words such as service, service charge, servizio, service compris or Bedienung on the bill. If one of them is there with an amount, the tip is already paid, and anything extra is a small optional thank-you.
A cover charge is different. In Italy, coperto is a charge per person for bread and the table, not for service.
How much to tip in different countries
Customs vary more than most travelers expect. At sit-down restaurants in the US and Canada, 15 to 20% on top of the bill is normal. In much of Europe, people round up or leave 5 to 10% when service isn't already on the bill. In Japan and South Korea, tipping isn't expected at all.
Customs change, and they differ between a café and a fine-dining room, so ask at your hotel if you're unsure. Whatever the percentage, the % key works the same way.
Quick tip math without a calculator
- 10%: move the decimal point one place left. 62.00 becomes 6.20.
- 15%: take 10%, then add half of it. 6.20 + 3.10 = 9.30.
- 20%: double the 10% figure. 6.20 × 2 = 12.40.
- 5%: half of 10%. 3.10.
Tip in local currency, not yours
If a card terminal asks whether to add the tip and charge you in your home currency, choose the local currency. The terminal's conversion usually carries a margin; our travel guide explains how to check it.
When you tip in cash, use local notes and coins. Staff can't easily spend foreign money and lose out when they exchange it.
Questions
How does the % key work for tips?
It adds that percentage of the number before it, like a pocket calculator: 62+10% gives 68.20. To get only the tip, type 62×10% instead, which gives 6.20.
Is a cover charge the same as a tip?
No. A cover charge, such as coperto in Italy, pays for bread and the table setting. Look separately for a service line; if it's there, service is already paid.