Tipping customs are not the same in many countries, even quite different. Here are some typical ones. Keeping them in mind can help you when you enjoy your holiday overseas. United States Restaurants in the USA usually call for a 15 to 20% tip. Of course, you may have the misfortune of going to a restaurant that automatically includes a 15% tip in the check, but for all those US males out there who pull out their little calculators every time they receive the bill, having the tip already indicated for them can save a lot of embarrassment. In pubs, you are expected to put a dollar or two at the bar. However, since you usually pay only at the end rather than for each drink as you go, this does not get too excessive! In most states of the US the tax is around 7 to 8%, so you just tip twice the tax- a little more or less depending on the service you got. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. However, some people just do not understand what the big deal is with figuring out what 15% of the total is... You just take 10% of the total, divide that by two, and then find the sum of both figures. Canada Most service staff in Canada expect something in the 10 to 20% tip range, depending on which city, if it is French or English Canada, and the level of service. Tipping is expected for restaurants, bars, food delivery and taxis. You should not try to tip the police, especially the Royal Canadian Mountain Police- they will not appreciate it. 15% is a good tip in a restaurant. In Montreal, tips for a good meal at a good restaurants with good service should be tipped more. In most of English Canada, you would find it a lot harder to have the same experience, and anyway would not be expected to tip as much. United Kingdom All British people know this: you do not tip cash at the bar in a pub. If you are impressed withe barkeep’s service, you can offer to buy them a drink. Such an offer will be genuinely appreciated, when though it may not be accepted. If it is, the barkeep might take the tip in the form of cash to “have a drink later”. This will generally be for half a pint of beer, or a small measure of spirits. You would not expect them to take for a larger drink unless you specially asked them to. It seems to be a gray area whether to tip for meals served in a pub. Generally, you have to decide whether a particular establishment is a pub that serves food (do not tip) or a restaurant with a bar (do tip).