Six things you should know about tipping in India

To avoid committing a cultural faux pas, travelers and new residents have been advised on how to tip for common services in India.

The team behind online remittance service Remitly, who specializes in sending money to India, have provided guidelines for tipping in Indian restaurants, bars, hotels and salons, as well as tour guides and drivers.

Every country has a different tipping culture. Whilst Americans habitually tip for a lot of products and services, for example, residents in some countries are only expected to pay the amount on the bill.

In India, there is no one-size-fits-all requirement when it comes to tips and gratuity, which can make it difficult to know whether you’re doing the right thing.

While tipping in India isn’t necessarily a cultural tradition, people often expect you to tip in most of the tourist towns.

So to assist new residents and travelers, online remittance service Remitly has advised on how to tip at popular establishments and for common services in India, from restaurants and bars to hotels and transportation.

A spokesperson for Remitly said: “In India, tips, typically referred to as ‘baksheesh’, are mostly optional. You can think of giving baksheesh in India as a small act of appreciation for good service.

“Whilst the tipping culture doesn’t follow rigid guidelines, generally speaking, the average tip is about 10 percent. Remember, you’ll be tipping in the local currency, the Indian rupee, so you may want to familiarize yourself with the going conversion rate before your trip.”

Six things you should know about tipping in India:

Restaurants

India is renowned for its incredible cuisine, so you won’t be short on places to eat – from street food stalls and small eateries, to high-end and fine dining restaurants. But it’s important to note that each type of location has a different tipping etiquette.

Generally speaking, when it comes to street food, no tipping is required or expected. When you pay for a small meal, breakfast, or a snack that costs less than INR (around $4), a 10 percent tip is usually appreciated.

On bills ranging from INR 300 to INR 1,000 (around $13), 7-10 percent tips are the norm. But for bills above INR 1,000, a tip of 5-7 percent will be sufficient.

Like in many other countries, restaurants in India now often include a ‘service charge’. No additional tip is expected if this type of charge is already included in the bill.

Bars

Before deciding on how much to tip in a bar, you should check your bill for a service charge. In general, bartenders should be tipped 10 percent, depending on how complex your order is. Tipping a sommelier is optional, but if you choose to, offer 5 percent on the cost of the wine.

Hotels

At Indian hotels, you will only be expected to tip those who provide you a specific service. For example, if a hotel porter carries your bag to your room, tip around INR 20 (about 25¢) per bag. If you don’t want to tip, simply say no to the baggage service. Tipping housekeeping is generally optional, but if you’d like to, you can leave a small tip of INR 10-50 per day.

Some hotels might have a centralized tipping box, in which you can contribute one large tip for the entire staff. This is generally recommended as hotels have a lot of staff that you don’t necessarily get to meet or cross paths with. A standard contribution to the tip box is INR 100 for every night you stayed at the hotel. However, it’s worth noting that large hotel chains may have no-tipping policies in place, so make sure to check.

Transportation

If your driver got you where you needed to be safely and in good time, you should tip them by rounding up the fare to the nearest multiple of ten – the same goes for Rickshaw drivers.

Airport shuttle drivers can be tipped INR 50-100 for timely service.

Spas and salons

If you visit a spa or get your hair styles in India, you won’t be automatically expected to leave a tip. However, if you’re really happy with the service, you can leave a small token of appreciation – 5-10 percent of your bill will suffice.

Tours

Tipping guides and drivers who provide tour services in India is quite customary, especially if they do a particularly good job. Around INR 100-300 per day or per tour is a fair amount. This depends on your level of satisfaction with the guided tour. If it is a group tour then INR 50-100 per person is a fair tip.