A tip is a monetary gift to staff as a reward for good service. It can be paid with cash or through cashless payment systems.
In Australia there is a lot of confusion, and even disagreement over whether to give a tip – sometimes called a ‘gratuity’.
Many people object to tipping in Australia. They see it as an unnecessary cultural influence from countries like the US, where the employment conditions for service staff are very different.
Robin Chiang runs the international markets for OpenTables. He says historically Australian tipping culture has not been strong.
“What we’ve seen after the pandemic and after lockdowns is a shift in sentiment. Around 25 per cent of Aussies that we surveyed are now happy to tip after a meal. And that’s really led by our young guys under 30. Around half of them are very willing to tip after a meal. So that’s been a real sea change for us in terms of eating out at restaurants and how we treat our restaurateurs and front-of-house staff.”
The pandemic has reduced cash tipping. Instead, we see more eftpos payments, QR code ordering and the use of ridesharing and food delivery apps.
These usually include in-app tipping features that can prompt you to reward the provider, even if there is very little human interaction.
In Australia taxi drivers won’t expect a tip, although it is common to round up the fare to the nearest dollar.
Hairdressers, beauticians, and hotel staff do not expect tips.
While opinions and habits vary greatly, the most important thing to keep in mind is that in Australia, tipping is entirely up to you.
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