Romania did something unusually visible with restaurant tipping in 2023: it moved the voluntary amount onto the payment process. Before the fiscal receipt is issued, the customer receives a note with tip options from 0% to 15% or space to choose an amount. The selected tip then appears on the final fiscal receipt.
The three calm endings to a Romanian meal
The payment note comes before the fiscal receipt
A printed percentage is an option, not an instruction
Romanian law defines the tip as money offered voluntarily above the value of the goods or service. A restaurant must not turn the presence of 5%, 10% or 15% boxes into a compulsory minimum. Choose based on service, not on the boldest line.
Ten percent is the useful custom for good table service
Romanian visitor guidance commonly describes roughly 10% as appreciated in restaurants. A small round-up can suit a cafe or casual bill, while self-service, takeaway and disappointing service do not require percentage mathematics.
The tip can travel with the card payment
Because the selected tip is entered before the fiscal receipt, it can be included in the final card transaction rather than left only as loose cash. Confirm the full RON amount on the terminal and do not accept a home-currency conversion simply to make tipping easier.
A service charge and a voluntary tip are different lines
If a venue has a mandatory charge disclosed on the menu or booking, read what it covers before adding another amount. The statutory tip process is voluntary. Ask when a group, event or hotel restaurant bill contains a separate service line.
Outside restaurants, use the ordinary thank-you rule
Round a taxi fare or give a guide, porter or driver a modest cash amount when the service genuinely helped. The restaurant's 0-15% fiscal procedure is specific to restaurants and bars; it does not create a national mandatory percentage for every service encounter.