The short answer
Tipping in the UK is customary at sit-down restaurants, at about 10–12.5%, and often it is already on the bill as a “discretionary service charge.” If you see one, you are done: don’t tip twice. The charge is optional, and you can ask for it to be removed if service was poor. At the pub, nobody tips for drinks ordered at the bar. Taxis are commonly rounded up or tipped about 10%. Since October 2024, the law in England, Scotland and Wales requires employers to pass all tips and service charges on to staff. Last checked October 2026.
Below: amounts by setting, how service charges work, the 2024 tips law, pub etiquette, worked examples in pounds with a US-dollar guide, and how to handle a group bill.
How much to tip in the UK: amounts by setting
Common practice for good service, not rules. Pound amounts with a rough US-dollar guide at about $1.33 per pound; check your bank’s current rate. Last checked October 2026.
| Where | Customary tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 10–12.5% | Often added as a discretionary service charge; don’t add more |
| Restaurant with no service charge | About 10% | Leave it on the card machine or in cash |
| Café with table service | Round up, or about 10% | Counter service: nothing expected |
| Pub, ordering at the bar | Nothing expected | “And one for yourself” is the traditional thank-you |
| Pub with table service for food | About 10%, or the service charge | Same as a restaurant |
| Cocktail bar with table service | Often a service charge on the bill | Check before adding anything |
| Black cab or minicab | Round up, or about 10% | Optional |
| Ride-hail apps | Optional in-app tip | Same logic as taxis |
| Hotel porter | £1–2 per bag (about $1.30–2.70) | Optional |
| Hotel housekeeping | A few pounds for the stay | Optional; leave it clearly marked |
| Hairdresser or barber | About 10% | Optional |
| Takeaway and delivery | Optional | Round up or a pound or two |
The UK sits between North America and continental Europe: tipping is more expected than in France or Spain, but the numbers are lower than the US 15–20%. For a Mediterranean comparison, see our guide to tipping in Greece.
Discretionary service charges: what they are and how to remove one
Many UK restaurants, especially in London and other cities, add a line to the bill such as “A discretionary service charge of 12.5% has been added to your bill.” A few things to know:
- It is the tip. If a service charge is already on the bill, you don’t need to leave anything else.
- “Discretionary” means optional. UK small-business site Startups.co.uk explains in its guide to UK service charges that customers can decline a discretionary service charge and simply need to ask for it to be removed before paying.
- Compulsory charges are different. Some restaurants (often for large groups) make the charge compulsory. That must be made clear before you order, for example on the menu.
- Watch the card machine. Some terminals still suggest a tip even when a service charge is on the bill. Choose “no tip” unless you want to give extra.
How to ask for a service charge to be removed
Do it politely, before paying, and you don’t need a long explanation:
- “Could you take the service charge off, please? It wasn’t quite what we hoped for.”
- “We’d rather leave a tip in cash directly, could you remove the service charge?”
Most diners keep the charge when service was fine. Removing it is for when something really went wrong.
The 2024 tips law: where your tip goes
For years, UK diners were never quite sure whether a service charge reached the staff. That changed with the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023. According to the UK government’s statutory code of practice on distributing tips fairly, the Act makes it mandatory for all tips to be passed on to workers without deductions, and it came into force on 1 October 2024.
What this means for you:
- Card tips and service charges must reach workers. Employers have to pass on tips, gratuities and service charges paid by customers in full, distributed fairly among staff.
- Cash handed directly to a server that the employer never touches stays with that person.
- Workers can enforce it through an employment tribunal, which takes the code of practice into account.
One detail for travelers: the Act applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Employment law is devolved in Northern Ireland, where the Act does not apply, according to the explanatory notes on legislation.gov.uk. So in Great Britain, a 12.5% service charge is not a hidden fee for the restaurant: by law, it goes to the people who work there.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Tipping customs are broadly the same across the four nations: about 10–12.5% at sit-down restaurants, nothing at the pub bar, and a rounded-up fare in taxis. A few practical notes:
- Cities vs small towns. Automatic service charges are most common in larger cities and busier restaurants. In smaller towns and village pubs, you are more likely to be left to decide yourself.
- Northern Ireland. Customs at the table are the same, but the 2024 tips law does not cover it, so if it matters to you where your tip goes, cash handed to your server is the most direct option.
- Currency. Everywhere in the UK uses the pound sterling. Scottish and Northern Irish banks issue their own notes, which are pounds too.
Tipping in pubs
Pubs have their own rules, and they are simpler than restaurants:
- Ordering at the bar: no tip. You pay for each round as you order it. Nobody expects a tip on a pint.
- “And one for yourself.” The traditional way to thank good bar staff is to offer them a drink when you pay. Many will thank you and add the price of a drink (or a half) to your total as a tip rather than drink it on shift.
- Food at the table: if you order food at the bar and it is brought to you, a tip is optional. If you have proper table service, tip as you would in a restaurant, or pay the service charge.
- Rounds among friends: in a group, people often take turns buying a round for everyone. If you are joining a round, it is good manners to buy one back before you leave.
Card or cash?
The UK is one of Europe’s most card-friendly countries, and tipping by card is normal. When the server brings the card machine to the table, it may ask whether you want to add a tip; choose a percentage, enter an amount or select “no tip” if a service charge is already included. Cash tips are welcome too, and they go straight to the person you hand them to. If a machine offers to charge you in dollars, choosing pounds generally avoids an extra conversion markup.
Worked examples
Illustrative prices, not quotes from a real restaurant. Dollar figures rounded at about $1.33 per pound.
Example 1: dinner for two with a service charge
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Food and drinks | £72.00 |
| Discretionary service charge 12.5% | £9.00 |
| Bill | £81.00 (about $108) |
| Card machine asks for a tip | Choose “no tip”: the service charge covers it |
Example 2: dinner for two, no service charge
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Food and drinks | £58.00 |
| Tip at about 10% | £6.00 |
| Total | £64.00 (about $85) |
Example 3: pub evening
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Two rounds of two pints, ordered at the bar | Paid as you go |
| Tip | None expected; optionally “and one for yourself” on the second round |
A US-style 20% on Example 1 on top of the service charge would mean tipping about 32% in total. That is the classic visitor mistake.
Group bills: service charges and splitting
Groups often see a service charge added automatically, sometimes a compulsory one for tables of a certain size. That makes splitting easier, as long as nobody tips twice:
- Check the bill first. If 12.5% is already on it, each person’s share already includes their tip.
- Split the total, not the subtotal. Divide the bill including service by the number of people, or by what each ordered.
- Ask about separate payments early. Many UK restaurants will split the bill on the card machine, but it is easier if you mention it when ordering.
- Light eaters can pay itemized. Someone who had one course and water shouldn’t subsidize three courses and wine; add 12.5% to what they had.
For the math on even vs itemized splits, see how to split the bill fairly. For the phrases to ask for the bill or to pay separately abroad, see our guide to asking for the bill in different languages.
The UK vs the US and France
| UK | US and Canada | France | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant tip | 10–12.5%, often as a service charge | 15–20% | Optional extra; service in the price |
| Bar drinks | No tip at the pub bar | About $1–2 per drink is common | Round up |
| Taxi | Round up or about 10% | 15–20% | Round up |
| How you tip | Card machine or cash | Card slip or terminal | Coins, or ask before paying by card |
For the French approach, see our guide to tipping in France.
Common mistakes visitors make
- Tipping on top of a service charge. Check the bill and choose “no tip” on the machine.
- Tipping at the pub bar. Not expected; offer a drink instead if you want to thank someone.
- Assuming 20%. 10–12.5% is the UK norm.
- Not knowing you can remove a discretionary charge. You can, politely, if service was poor.
Planning a meal with new people?
A service charge makes the tip easy; the bigger question at a table of people who just met is how the bill gets split. Saying it up front, in the invitation, saves the awkward moment.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web now, starting in Malta, with the phone apps on the way: open MeetNow and see the plans near you.
FAQ: tipping in the UK
How much do you tip in the UK?
At sit-down restaurants, 10–12.5% is the usual range. Many restaurants add it automatically as a discretionary service charge, often 12.5%. If a service charge is on the bill, you don’t need to add more.
Do I have to pay a discretionary service charge in the UK?
No. A discretionary service charge is optional. If you are unhappy with the service, you can ask for it to be removed before you pay. A compulsory service charge must be made clear before you order.
Do you tip in pubs in the UK?
Not when you order at the bar. If you want to thank the bar staff, you can offer to buy them a drink or say “and one for yourself,” and they may take the cost of a drink as a tip. Table service in a pub restaurant is tipped like a restaurant.
Do tips go to staff in the UK?
In England, Scotland and Wales, since 1 October 2024, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 requires employers to pass on all tips, gratuities and service charges to workers without deductions. It does not apply in Northern Ireland.
Do you tip taxi drivers in the UK?
It is common to round up the fare or add about 10% for black cabs and minicabs, but it is not mandatory. Ride-hail apps let you add an optional tip in the app.
Should you tip on top of a service charge?
No. The service charge is the tip. If the card machine also suggests a tip, choose no tip unless you want to give extra for outstanding service.
The bottom line
Tipping in the UK means 10–12.5% at restaurants, often already added as a discretionary service charge that you can ask to remove if service was poor. Don’t tip twice, don’t tip on drinks at the pub bar, round up taxis, and know that since October 2024 the law in Great Britain sends tips and service charges to the staff.
