Tipping in Australia: How Much, When & Who

Tipping in Australia is optional, not expected. Here's exactly when to tip, how much to give, and who actually appreciates it.

Australia has no strong tipping culture — and that's not a problem, it's just how things work. Workers earn a regulated living wage, so tipping is a genuine reward for outstanding service rather than a social obligation. If you're arriving from the US or Canada, you can leave the tipping anxiety at the airport.

Tipping at a Glance

Restaurants & Cafés

Sit-down restaurants are the one place where tipping has genuine traction in Australia. If you've had attentive service and a good meal, leaving 10% is a well-understood and appreciated gesture. You won't raise eyebrows by not tipping, but you will make a waiter's day if you do. A few practical things to know:

• •10% is the standard for good service at a sit-down restaurant — there's no pressure to go higher.
• •Check your bill before tipping. Some restaurants, particularly in tourist areas or for large groups, add a service charge or a weekend surcharge (typically 10–15% on Sundays and public holidays). If it's already on the bill, you're done.
• •At cafés and coffee shops, rounding up or dropping coins in the tip jar is a friendly gesture — not a rule.
• •Counter service and fast food: no tip expected or needed.
• •EFTPOS (card) machines increasingly offer a tipping prompt at the end of payment — you can select 'No Tip' without any awkwardness.

Taxis & Rideshare

Most Australians do not tip taxi drivers, and drivers don't expect it. That said, rounding up the fare or letting the driver keep the change is a perfectly normal way to show appreciation — especially if they helped with luggage, navigated efficiently, or were simply good company. For a $23.60 fare, handing over $25 and saying 'keep the change' is plenty. With Uber and other rideshare apps, tipping is available in-app but rarely used locally. There's no social pressure either way — tip if the ride was genuinely excellent, skip it if it was simply a ride.

Hotels, Tours & Other Services

• •Hotel porters: Tipping is not expected in Australia. If a porter goes well out of their way — carrying heavy bags up multiple flights, giving you a useful local tip — a few dollars is a generous gesture, not a baseline requirement.
• •Housekeeping: Not customary, but leaving $2–$5 per night in cash on the pillow is a thoughtful move at higher-end hotels, especially for longer stays.
• •Tour guides: No firm expectation, but if a guide delivered a genuinely memorable experience — great knowledge, real effort, personal touches — $5 to $20 is a reasonable acknowledgement. Group tours and day trips are where this comes up most often.
• •Spa and beauty treatments: Tipping is not standard practice. A compliment to the staff or a positive review online goes a long way.
• •Hairdressers and barbers: Not expected. Rounding up is fine if you want to, but most Australians don't.

How to Tip in Australia

Cash is the most direct way to tip and ensures the money goes to the person you intend it for. At restaurants, hand cash to your server directly or leave it visibly on the table rather than on the plate. Most modern EFTPOS terminals also allow you to add a tip by card — this is reliable at sit-down restaurants and increasingly common in taxis. Rounding up is the most Australian approach: it's low-key, practical, and gets the point across without ceremony. There's no need to announce or explain a tip here — just add it, or don't.