Tipping in the Philippines, how much do I tip?

Overall, tipping in the Philippines is usually not expected.  So, staff and service personnel are not mad when you do not give a tip.  Tipping is not something practiced here.  

Many countries have a tradition of giving monetary tips. Usually, it’s 10-20% of what you’re paying for, and it’s offered to taxi drivers, waiters, bellhops, hotel maids, bartenders, or anyone who provides some service to you.

Tipping may be more common in other countries, but not so much in the Philippines. However, when your bill arrives, you may see a 10 percent service charge on the bill.  

When you give tips, remember tipping in the Philippines is viewed as a goodwill sign, mainly if that individual gave you excellent service. It acts both ways, too. You can opt not to offer a tip if you don’t get the service you are expecting. Whether it’s a waitress, barber, or masseuse, the gesture is deeply appreciated by every service worker who receives one.

Here are a few tips on tipping in the Philippines for when you want to give a tip but are unsure of how many to give:

1. Cab drivers, tipping in the Philippines:

Depending on how far you travel, you can give them anywhere from ₱20 to 50 pesos ($0.50 – $1.00 USD) the time you spent on the road, and how friendly he/she was.

2. Tipping in the Philippines at Hotels:

When tipping in the Philippines at a hotel, give at least a Pesos ₱20 ($0.40 USD) tip ₱50 or more if you feel generous or asked them to bring many bags or they are a Bellhops working hard. Likewise, hotel maids are typically given P20-P50 per day.

3. Tipping in the Philippines at Restaurants:

Leaving tips for restaurant service crews is rare, as a 10 percent service fee would be included in your bill. However, if you feel terribly generous (or for some reason, if it’s not included in your bill), depending on your bill, you can leave them with the P20 or P50 bills from your change.

4. Tipping in Bars:

It is easy to leave the change or round up the bill for bars since a 10 percent service fee is already included.

5. Salons and spas, tipping in the Philippines:

Tipping in the Philippines at salons and spas a P20-P50 is typically appropriate, but if you receive especially excellent service, there are occasions when you can offer more.

There is no expiation of tipping in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, there is no common obligation to tip. However, Some establishments already have a “Service Fee ‘SF'” or you can tip individually. Only a few people add a tip beyond the service fee, even though the SF is included in the bill, often designated by “SC” for service charge on machine-printed receipts. Multiply your total bill by 10 percent if you wish to tip and there is no service fee added, or you can only offer about P50 depending on the level of service. Please note, when the service fee is present on the bill, the ‘wait staff’ will not see any extra fees as the owner or hiring company may take it all. So, small tips to the individual are appreciated.

Unlike in the United States of America, when tipping in the Philippines, your credit card is not typically charged for the tip. You pay the total bill, not including the service fee, on your credit card. Then you decide to tip individually; you usually offer it in cash.

Some restaurants and bars that do not already implement a service charge can state this clearly on the bill as “SC not included.” Overall, tipping is typically not expected because when you do not give a tip, the employees are not offended. If the service is bad, then do not feel obligated to leave a tip.

TIPPING ETIQUETTE IN PHILIPPINE

You need to know about gratuities and tipping in the Philippines; this country is not exactly a ‘tipping nation’ as other neighboring countries. However, by now, Western influence has pervaded this country’s very infrastructure, which implies that tipping is beginning to be seen as more and more anticipated by visitors.

Tipping in hotels

The fact is, tipping is a relatively new phenomenon in the Philippines. This almost certainly leads to tipping in the country’s hotels and food places. You will generally begin to discover that the higher-rated hotels (4 Star plus) typically require guests to tip the bellman services, maids, bar staff, etc. Smaller and lower-rated hotels, however, do not seem to expect just as much of a tip. That said, if a staff member offers you outstanding service, try to go out of your way to give them a tip.

Tipping at the Spa

Normally, your spa service provider does not expect a tip. However, if you believe that the spa employees have given outstanding service, you should tip around 10%. Do not leave a tip if you end up being disappointed with your spa experience.

Tipping your Philippine tour guide

In the Philippines, tour guides work extremely hard, and very often, they do so with very little pay from their employer. Even self-employed tour guides may be on a salary that is much smaller than you would imagine. Therefore a 10 percent tip is always welcome and can make a real difference.

Should you tip your Philippine taxi driver?

Caution, if your taxi driver gives you a verbal price quote before you get into the cab, they will turn off the meter. If this happens, you will most likely pay a higher fare for the trip on the meter. Therefore, you should not pay a tip. However, if your taxi driver keeps the meter running and you pay the resulting fare at the end of the journey, feel free to include a nice service tip of 10 percent.

Should you tip your hair Filipino dresser?

Hairdressers might be a little shocked when a tip is given in the Philippines. Having said this, in this industry, gratuities are becoming more and more common. A tip of between 10 percent – 15 percent of the bill is highly recommended if you believe that the hairdresser has really gone to town with your hairstyle.

Good reasons for tipping while in the Philippines

In the expectation that workers can make up the difference in tips from low wages, you are only responsible for paying servers an amount below the minimum wage, which is currently $12 USD for a 10 hour per day. However, most people work for $4 – $6 per day.

With higher tips from happy customers, your service provider is driven to deliver outstanding service.

Tip first for better service.

This method has been in effect for a long time, dating back to the 18th century in some documents. The traditional tipping policies are familiar to American servers and diners alike.  Yet, when a patron from western countries gives an over the top tip, the help and not sure what to do?  If you give a massage masseur a $5 tip for a $3 massage, you devalue that service.  This may include jealously in the ranks and cause animosity in the business.  If you choose to tip, then stay in the 5% – 10% range.  

It is customary that a tip is a percentage of the price of the ticket. In hopes of a bigger tip, this allows servers to up-sell menu items, raising your profit along with their profits.

Reasons why tipping in the Philippines in not expected.

If tips become the main part of their salary, then servers make a less stable revenue. This will increase the turnover of workers as individuals pursue more secure jobs.

If servers cannot make up the difference through tips between their wages received from you and the legal minimum wage, you could be responsible for paying them the difference depending on your state).

Although some guests tip more or less depending on the level of service, some will tip a fixed percentage no matter how happy they are. This practice will decrease workers’ morale and make it hard for servers to earn a living wage.

~Staff

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