Tipping in New York - cash or card?

[Pattygonia]

Hello! We are off to NY in September- I know that tipping culture is very different but wanted to ask about the actual mechanics of tipping. Do you need cash or can you add tips onto your card/phone payments? If you do need cash,how do you get enough smaller denomination notes?
Maybe I'm overthinking but I barely use cash anymore in UK and want to get this right. Would be v grateful for any info - thanks

in restaurants and bars you can add the tip to a card payment but you will need cash to tip others like the maid service, room service, doormen in the hotel, etc.

Easiest way to do it is to ask the hotel when you check in to break a large note for tips for you and keep this separate from your spending money. When you get small bills in change, also add these to your tip stash

Enjoy NY. It’s my favourite city in the world

Tipping is “double the tax”. So around 15% plus. Not 10%. Therefore it’s pretty big numbers. Often prices are displayed without tax. So you add that in and then double that amount for the tax in a restaurant. $1 doesn’t go far but do take some or change when you get there.,can you not request some $1 from your bank? Tipping gets very tiresome I find.

Thanks - will ask for some lower denomination notes from post office before we go. Usually we just get any cash we need out from cash machines when we arrive at a destination.
I find tipping weirdly stressful but am still really looking forward to this trip so thanks again!

Just a word of warning on how tipping by card works. They will bring you the bill, you give your card and they take it away to charge - this is not done in front of you. Then they bring you another receipt (two copies), one of which you should sign and write down how much tip you’re leaving. They will then correct the charge to your card and charge you the full amount - just one transaction.

It works differently so just so you know what’s happening with all the back and forth card trips!