General Information » Money » Tipping

Until very recently tipping was actively discouraged by the local authorities and in most places tips would be fearfully rejected. The growing number of tourists and expats coming to Shanghai over the past few years has led to tipping becoming a more common practice, but it is still not expected. It is entirely up to you who you tip and how much you give them, telling a friendly taxi driver to ‘keep the change’ or slipping a 5-10% tip to your hairdresser or beautician is perfectly normal if they have done a good job. Luxury hotels and some high-end bars often add a 15% service charge to the bill and although these do not generally go to the wait staff themselves, further tips are rarely given. In restaurants, if you think your waiter or waitress deserves a little monetary praise, then slip them a 10 or 20 yuan note, making sure to do it discreetly so that the boss does not claim it as his own. Tips are, almost without exception, given in cash.