How we set our numbers
Want to know how we chose a tipping range? Here's how we check the guidance and turn it into a starting point you can use.
Last checked October 2026
We look at the tipping advice people actually rely on in the US — etiquette guides, industry groups, the big consumer sites — and go with the amount they broadly agree on. The calculator then adjusts it for your situation. When a tip isn't expected, we say so instead of making a number up.
Where the numbers come from
For each job, we read what the trusted guides say is normal in the US and use the range they mostly agree on. These are the amounts people genuinely give — not a survey we ran, and not a claim about what anyone is strictly owed. Each service page links to its sources and shows its last review date. We check company policies and app claims at least every 45 days, and general etiquette guidance at least every 90 days. If a policy changes, we update the page and calculator together.
We show the normal amount first
Every calculator opens on the usual tip, so if you're in a hurry you can read it and go. Change your details — how many people, how long, or whether a service charge is already on the bill — and the number updates. The math runs in your browser. Inputs can appear in the page link so you can share a result; our privacy page explains what that means.
When the honest answer is nothing
Sometimes the right tip is $0 — the gratuity is already on the bill, the business doesn't allow tips, or the service went badly. We'll tell you when that's the case rather than nudge you to pay anyway. You're always free to give more or less than we show.
The exact amounts we use
If you like the detail, here's what sits behind the ranges for a few common jobs.
- Half day (4 hours or less): about $30 per mover.
- Full day: about $50 per mover.
- Or roughly 5% of the total, split between the crew.
- Stairs, heavy items, or bad weather: a few dollars more each.
- Gratuity already included: nothing extra.
- Around 20% of the bill before tax is the usual tip.
- 15% to 25% covers most people, depending on the service.
- If a service charge is already added, you don't owe more.
- Splitting the bill? We divide the tip so the table can share it.
- Valet: about $5 when they bring your car around.
- Housekeeping: a few dollars a night, left daily.
- Massage: around 20% of the price, unless it's already included.
- Rideshare: about 20% of the fare, a little more for a long wait or an airport run.
- Bartender: roughly $1 a beer, $2 a cocktail, or 20% of the tab.
This is US custom
The amounts here are American habits. If you're traveling, tipping works differently — in much of Europe a service charge is built in, and in places like Japan a tip can even feel rude. Treat this site as the US answer, and follow what's normal wherever you are.
What this isn't
This isn't legal advice or a promise that every worker expects these amounts — it's a friendly, well-researched starting point. If a business posts its own tipping policy, that policy wins.