General Information » Money » Tipping

Tipping is not universally expected in Hong Kong, but always appreciated. The actual amount to tip varies according to who you are dealing with:

• Taxis – the driver will usually just round the fare up to the nearest dollar; in any case, that’s all you need to pay.

• Hotel washroom attendants – they appreciate a small tip, say $2.

• Ordinary restaurants – let’s say you pay for a $400 meal with a $500 note. You’re surprised to see that the change comes back as a $50 and two $20 notes, plus some coins, ie. a $5, two $2s, and a $1. It isn’t that the cashier didn’t have a $100 note. Instead, she’s guiding you in making a tip – in this case you take the notes and the $5 coin, and leave the small coins. Even when paying by credit card, local practice is just to round up to give a tip in the $5-$20 range. You really don’t need to calculate the tip as a percentage of the total bill.

• Bellhops - give them $10 - $20 depending on the number of bags they are carrying for you.

• Salons - if you get a haircut, take a massage, or visit a beauty salon, a 5 - 10% tip will be welcomed, and you’ll get an extra smile on your next visit.

• Hotel restaurants, and other upmarket restaurants – a 10% service charge will be added to the bill automatically, but it won’t go to the staff. An extra 5-10% tip will be appreciated if you had good service – leave it as cash if you are paying by credit card, so that it goes to the waiters.