New York - Tipping

[Bitdemented]

Going to Manhatten shortly.
Never been to New York before.
Can someone advise regarding tips..
Who? Where? How much?
Obviously in restaurants but what about taxi drivers, uber drivers, street vendors if getting food, coffee shops, fast food restaurants, housekeeping in hotels?
And how much on average especially if eating out for dinner in evenings?
Thanks in advance

18% in restaurants unless it’s already included.

Coffee shop - depends on whether it’s table service or just order at the counter. It’s ok to not tip anything if ordering at the counter, otherwise 15-20% for table service.

$1 per drink at the bar.

Street vendors nothing.

Housekeeping $1-2 per day.

Uber I usually do 15% rounded to the dollar unless they’ve driven badly - you’re asked after the journey via the app.

Haven’t taken a taxi in forever.

Fast food restaurants I don’t tip. Also nothing in Dunkin, Starbucks, etc.

Restaurants- 20% of the pre-tax bill

Taxis same, the screen in the back will calculate it for you. Sometimes there are also tolls for bridges & tunnels

Uber you will get a notification afterwards, 10% usually fine.

Street vendors no

coffee shops I usually do $1 per coffee if they’re making a cappuccino or something, less if they’re pouring from a pot.

Fast food leave $1-2 in the tip jar depending what you’re getting.

Housekeeping depends on the hotel/price/how long you stay, I wait until the end of my stay.

Also a lot of places have a screen that automatically suggests tip options when you pay by card. Feel free to ignore it. You’re not expected to tip when you are just shopping.

When I was there I tipped restaurants and cabs. That was it. I put DND on my room because I dont like housekeeping going in and changing things so I also don’t tip them because they didn’t do anything

When I was there I tipped restaurants and cabs. That was it. I put DND on my room because I dont like housekeeping going in and changing things so I also don’t tip them because they didn’t do anything

Tip for restaurant and taxis service but absolutely ignore the ridiculous cheeky prompts on contactless screens for shops, fast food etc. And don’t feel obligated to go above 15%.
Do tip housekeeping if you wish $1/night per guest.

I only tipped Ubers and restaurants when I went last year. I didn’t find the whole tipping culture too bad, certainly better than when I had been to various parts of Florida and California recently.
My DH did a few one dollars for takeaway coffees but I very rarely did.
I found restaurants preferred the tip to go on the card than cash handed to a specific server. I tipped 20%.

Coffee shops - it depends. If the person is friendly and the service is decent I use the 5% option on the contactless screen.

Fast food no, didn't do street vendors.

Housekeeping - DH travels to NY a lot for work and he normally leaves $15-20/week. That's basically the only cash he now uses there.

Ive just got back ... they basically generally have a screen everywhere like taxis etc that suggests the amount plus what that percentage is (i.e. 18% or 20 etc), but dont feel you have to. Restaurants you say the amount when they come back with the receipt and write how much you want on there, we tended to round to nearest 20%. We didn't tip regular shops and fast food / coffee etc. I didnt always tip taxis either.

We left dollars for house keeping on checkout not every day.

We had a good time but be prepared for everywhere you go absolutely stinking of weed, I was not prepared for that.

I was amazed yesterday here in England - bought a biscuit at the bakery counter of a cafe (outrageous at over £3 but it’s my DD’s favourite). Couldn’t understand why the machine wasn’t reading my card until I peered at the screen and realised it was asking if I wanted to tip! I think the server should have answered ‘no’ for me as really no question of leaving a tip for simply handing me a biscuit!
Anyway, I grew up in the US and was once berated for not leaving a large enough tip at a NY restaurant (service was poor, if not down right rude. Sadly manager sided with the waiter, so we took our tip back).
Tip at restaurants (18% is fine unless exceptional), taxi (10%), anyone who helps you with luggage ($5/two cases) or getting you a cab. Housekeeping I tip at end of stay - say $5 for two nights.
No for fast food and counter service. Bar yes. No for street food. If you take a tour then a $5 to the guide unless an all day thing then more.
Same anywhere in the US.

Not long back from New York and we found most restaurants had already added on the 20% tip to the bill, whether you wanted to pay it or not. I tipped some coffee shops with a few
dollar bills I had spare, mainly the ones where the servers were friendly and chatty. Didn’t tip in any shops and didn’t use Ubers, the subway is cheap and super easy to use, and a lot quicker than being sat in traffic. I did have money set aside that would have used for house keeping, but unfortunately ended up using all my cash and raiding the kids because of the amount of places that by the time the bill came, could only accept cash because the internet wasn’t working 🙄

edited to add food and restaurants are EXPENSIVE!! Unless you’re happy to pay top dollar for average food, use more street food vendors and small pizza places etc

I have never tipped at a coffee shop or fast food restaurant, even though the screen gives you the option to do so or they sometimes have a tip jar. It's not expected and nobody will think there's something wrong if you don't. I've also never tipped the housekeepers at a hotel, although I know some people do.

In a bar, $1 per drink minimum. Possibly $2 for a complicated cocktail that takes a little time.

In a restaurant these days 20% is acceptable. It used to be 15, but the acceptable amount went up during Covid, which I think is absolutely fair enough. You just have to remember that the price you see on the menu is not going to be the actual price.

Ubers work the same way I assume they do in the UK. You don't tip until afterwards so theoretically you don't need to. I would always tip at least 10-15%, but I'll usually just make it a round number. So, for example, 10% is $8.50 I'll round up to $10.

We were in NYC at Christmas. Prices have shot up and tipping. 20% was the standard tip added to bills in restaurants. Coffee shops, cafes, bars were giving the option of 18%, 20% or 22% on the card reader.
Portion sizes have reduced as well imo.
Cabs we were tipping 10%.