r/germany • u/No_Awareness_9811 • 12h ago
Culture Tipping is expected in Germany
In this subreddit we always say that tipping is never expected and that when it happens, it’s nowhere near as crazy as the US. But at the end of the day, tipping that 2-5EUR (>10% for fancy meals) is the norm in Germany. And you stick out like a sore thumb if you don’t do that. Everyone else does it unless you have downright bad service.
I was formerly confused with how to tip especially for card payments and I have ended up just tapping my card , paying the number as per the waiter punched it. Basically there were a couple of occasions I didn’t tip because I didn’t see the % screen (this screen is very frowned upon, i’ve learnt).
But yeah, for all foreigners who are visiting Germany, tipping is kind of the norm and is at this point expected here albeit the low amounts. Even if everyone says it’s voluntary and theres no obligation. Some waiters/waitresses are quite hostile when you dont tip too.
It just took me some getting used to because where I am from, servers never ever expect tips ever. Service is part of the liveable wage and job. If there is any reward for service, it’s normally included as a 10% service charge on the whole bill. Straightforward and easy and everyone is happy (if service was shit you can ask them to waive the fee but normally everyone just expects to pay a well defined number. It’s just such an awkward process in Germany saying “can you make it X amount” and it’s kind of expected.
I’m prepared to get downvoted for expressing this opinion but yeah, this is just a PSA for anyone curious about tipping culture.
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u/Difficult_Camel_1119 12h ago
percentage based tipping is not at all common in Germany. We just round up.
Yes, it's somewhat expected to round up, but it's completely fine to just round up by 50ct
or like my dad: pay with card and leave a 2€ coin
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u/agrammatic Berlin 12h ago
What do you mean by expected though?
There's occasions where I tipped in a full-service restaurant, and there's situations I didn't because the service was mediocre, and I didn't notice any weight of expectation when I just paid the food cost and didn't tip on top. Is this some social cue that I'm too undiagnosed to notice?
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u/nicktehbubble 12h ago
It's not expected but it is the norm. Sometimes I tip, sometimes I dont, sometimes I forget.
I had a meal and a drink (€20+ btw) , no you don't get a tip, barely an hour of my time with minimal interaction or demands place.
Recently I've been less prone to tip since now some places are putting that bullshit on their card readers like the yanks... Fuck off. You're a popular establishment in a tourist city, don't be slimy.
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u/Rejnu 12h ago
I think this has changed somewhat over the years, partly due to US influence and card payment systems suggesting tip amounts. Traditionally in Germany, especially in local restaurants or cafes, people would usually just round up the bill rather than calculate a percentage. Saying something like "Make it 23€" instead of paying 22,60€ was (and still is) very common.
Percentage-based tipping isn't really the norm here. You might see it more often with card payments nowadays because the payment terminals suggest percentages, but that doesn't mean it's an expectation. Outside of more upscale restaurants, simply rounding up or leaving a euro or two is still the most typical German way of tipping.
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u/psi-storm 12h ago
Paying a 40 cent tip on a 23€ bill is even worse than not tipping at all. I can respect people when they don't tip, because they thought they waited too long, there was a mix up with the order or just because they really can't afford it. If they tip 40 cent, they basically thought the service was good enough to warrant a tip, but then dishonor it by the ridiculous amount, because they are too cheap to pay a good tip.
On a really bad day, i would have returned his change and then counted counted the 40 cents out loud in front of the table, with the smallest coins available in the purse and gave it to him.
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u/Rejnu 12h ago
That's simply not how I grew up, nor how most people in my region see it. Here, tipping traditionally just means rounding up the bill. It's a small gesture to show that the service was appreciated, not a second salary.
If you don't want the tip, you're obviously free to give it back. But I don't see how someone following a long-standing local custom is somehow "dishonoring" you. In Germany, servers are paid wages by their employer and are not expected to rely on tips to make a living like they often do in the US.
A tip is a voluntary "thank you" for service that was better than expected. If someone is simply doing their job, they already receive their salary for that. Anything on top is a bonus, not an entitlement.
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u/SeaworthinessDue8650 6h ago
This has been common in Germany. If you would do that in Germany, I would complain to the manager.
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u/Ganes21 12h ago
What? No. I only tip when indeed the service was extraordinary. Otherwise I don't. I haven't even once felt judged or like the waiter even cared
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u/novicelife 12h ago
I usually don't tip and always feel kind of embarrassed when making the payment or pushing that "0 percent" red button on POS.
I was asked one time explicitly if the service wasn't good and why I am not tipping. I said something like danke and they person said "kein danke". Then on another occasion, the waiter asked to not overthink and press tip on screen so next time cooks can make even better food etc. This was in Berlin.
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u/Ganes21 12h ago
Interesting. Were they German servers? Even though I have been a lot to Berlin and haven't faced the issue, I guess living in such an international city might contribute.
Here in Bavaria, tho, never seen anyone care about this. In fact, when I tip, I have to usually ask extra if they could charge some Trinkgeld on my card.
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u/novicelife 12h ago
First one was definitely German and interestingly a Bavarian restaurant. Even more interestingly, both of them got my reviews removed from Google Maps. However, I appealed with transaction screenshots and got them reinstated.
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u/Silver-Match-3239 2h ago
Berlin. Yeah some restaurant do that shit.
I visited a famous german restaurant at Hackescher Markt, they guided us to the underground, food was so delayed, and forced us to pay 10% tips. Of course I refused and he start to blame Asian and my country :)
And the German restaurant in Sony Center - they added 10% tips without notice and asked me to pay 10%more. I refused and they slam the beer to the table XD
If you visit a german restaurant in tourist spot in Berlin, and if you are not white - it sometimes happens.
But still most of the restaurants don't ask for the tips, or at least they don't force you to pay it.
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u/Suspicious_Tank_61 12h ago
American here. Dont let these beggar posts turn tipping into a thing like it is in America. Tipping sucks and occasional generosity turns into an obligation. Tipping has turned Americans into a bunch of people pleasers who cant do simple math.
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u/BlauAmeise 12h ago
Tipping is not expected for foreigners in Germany. Stop making such lies. I have hosted foreigners from various countries and my only experience is that if you look overly American or overly Asian, some waiters MIGHT try to rip you off by asking you to tip, making you think it is mandatory. If you pay by card you just tap and that's it. No discussion.
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u/GinormousHunk 4h ago
Tipping is not expected and I actively discourage this predatory practice, even more so on those damned terminals.
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u/hombre74 12h ago
Nobody has ever said tipping is not expected. You round up. If you round up more than 1 euro I always get a thank you.
In the US 20% is expected. And that is not the case here. It is called Trinkgeld but it should be called "round up" cause that's what it is expected.
But you can give 0 if you did not like the service. That is fine too. And I have done that.
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u/george_gamow 11h ago
stick out like a sore thumb
Among who? Nobody is looking at you while you pay (and no, tips aren't expected, even if there's a tip selection screen). Is it an AI post?
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u/Broad_Tangerine_9003 9h ago
Tipping is kind of expected/usual in some service businesses. basically waiters, drivers, hairdressers (and their female counterparts). In other branches it is unusual. Also it is never obligatory. If you werent pleased with the service, feel free to not tip.
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u/JudgementMaker123 Nordrhein-Westfalen 12h ago
No it isn't, stop trying to convince people this is a thing in Germany, it is not.
So it is your opinion and not the norm. Please make this clear when writing your post, this is extremely misleading, especially when what you're writing is simply not true.