At a full-service restaurant, 18 to 20 percent of the pre-tax food-and-drink subtotal is a sensible planning range when no gratuity is included. Recent Toast payment data put the average full-service restaurant tip at 19.3% in early 2026. That is evidence of the current custom, not a law or a reason to add the same percentage at every counter.
The context map
| Situation | A practical default | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Table-service restaurant | Plan 18-20% before tax | Included gratuity or service charge |
| Bar | Tip for drinks and attentive service | Automatic gratuity on larger groups |
| Counter pickup | Optional; choose from the actual service | The screen may show ambitious presets |
| Taxi or rideshare | Tip for the completed ride and help | In-app suggested amounts |
| Hotel staff | Small direct tips for personal service | Whether a service charge already applies |
A tip and a service charge are not the same thing
Under federal rules, a compulsory service charge is not legally treated as a voluntary tip. Restaurants may add one for large groups or particular venues. Read the description and ask how it is distributed when that matters; do not add a second full tip by reflex.
The terminal cannot see what happened
A payment screen may offer 20, 25 or 30 percent after a cashier handed over a packaged item. It may show the same buttons after an hour of attentive table service. The software knows the transaction amount, not the relationship, so use the custom or no-tip option when the preset does not fit.
Tax, tip and menu price are three layers
When you use a percentage benchmark, calculate it from the pre-tax food-and-drink subtotal. Sales tax is a separate checkout layer. The final amount can therefore contain a menu price, tax and tip, with an automatic service charge replacing or complicating the last one.
Why the custom feels stronger here
US wage rules allow a federal tip credit in qualifying jobs, although many states require higher direct wages or prohibit that structure. Visitors do not need to audit the payroll at dinner, but the system explains why skipping a tip at full table service carries a different meaning from pressing zero at a self-service counter.