When my friends come visit Taiwan, a frequent question they’ll ask is when and how much to tip. Tipping in Taiwan is actually not a very customary thing to do, even in areas with a high concentration of tourists.
In fact, tipping is not common anywhere in Asia. From just talking to other people, this is an appealing reason why tourists like to visit (and expats prefer living) in Taiwan.
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When to Tip in Taiwan
If you think about it, tipping every meal 10% – 15% can add up to a lot of money after a while. And if you’re originally (or still) from the USA, then it can take some time to get used to not tipping.
However, there are still times when tipping in Taiwan is appropriate. Here are the times when you can, and possibly should, tip in this country.
Tipping in Restaurants
In restaurants, the price you see on the menu is the price you pay exactly. There is no sales tax and usually no tipping involved. But this is not to say you should never tip.
If a waiter was extra nice and/or performed superb service, you should tip them anyway. Trust me, they’re not used to it and it could really make their day.
If a restaurant requires tip, they will automatically include it on your bill. It does happen sometimes, but usually at high-end restaurants. So always make sure to check the receipt so see if that charge was added.
From personal experience though, the restaurants that have “tip-worthy” service usually already includes a gratuity/tip charge on the bill. Overall, service is good in Taiwan, but not as great as back in the United States because their service doesn’t affect their pay.
Private Driver or Tour Guide
For certain destinations around Taiwan that don’t have great public transportation and attractions spread out, I will hire a driver to chauffeur us for the day. It makes your day and planning so much easier to do so.
In these situations where you have to hire people for a prolonged service, I tend to tip them. If they’ve spent a whole or half day with you and showed great service, why not?
Hiring a tour guide to show you around a city falls into this category for me as well. But once again, they do not expect a tip, although it could go a long way in showing some gratitude.
Bars, Lounges & Nightclubs
I rarely see people tip, even at the upscale bars, lounges or nightclubs in Taipei city. Even though drinks are considered “cheap” here, tipping is by no means necessary.
However, if you plan to pop some bottles with a table at the nightclub, they will charge you a 10% service charge. You don’t have to add anything on top of this, although I’ve seen intoxicated foreigners do this out of habit.
The only time I would tip is if I’m at a bar with a word-class bartender making my drinks. The art of bartending is kind of a big thing in Taiwan and there are many renowned bartenders that reside and work in Taipei.
Upscale Hotels
For some upscale hotels, I would tip the maids at the end of the stay. Nothing too much, but $100 NTD per night would certainly make their days.
Again, they aren’t usually expecting tip, so if you want to tip them, you need to make it obvious like placing money on the pillow of the unmade beds. Otherwise, they might think you forgot your money and have the hotel call you (it’s happened before).
Valet Parking
A $100 NTD tip for valet is pretty customary depending on where you are. However, I would just give $100 NTD regardless of where I am. I don’t want to risk insulting a valet driver and it’s really not that much.
Tipping in Taiwan is really up to you. Although it’s not necessary, it’s always a good idea to show some monetary gratitude to someone that’s given you great service.
It’ll make their time more pleasant and perhaps treat foreigners better next time around.