Tipping in Australia
You don't need to tip in Australia — workers are covered by one of the world's highest minimum wages, so a tip is purely a bonus. Australians rarely tip in cafés, pubs or taxis, and many only leave something at restaurants when service was genuinely good. Visitors from North America often feel uneasy leaving nothing, but it's completely normal here.
Usual: 0–10%
Short answer
Tipping in Australia is not expected. For great service at a sit-down restaurant, 5–10% is generous (A$5–10 on a A$100 bill); taxis, cafés, pubs and hotels need no tip, though rounding up is a nice touch.
Open the tip calculator for this countryRestaurants
At sit-down restaurants, tipping is optional; leaving 5–10% for excellent service is generous, and some people tip more at high-end restaurants in Sydney or Melbourne. Card terminals increasingly show a tip prompt — pressing "no tip" is completely acceptable. Watch for surcharges instead: many venues add 10–15% on Sundays and public holidays (to cover higher staff pay rates), and card surcharges of around 1–2% are common. Some fine-dining restaurants add a service charge for large groups. Prices include 10% GST, so the menu price is what you pay. At counter-service places and food courts, there's no tip.
Hotels
Hotel staff in Australia don't expect tips. A porter who carries heavy bags might get A$2–5, and leaving A$5–10 for housekeeping after a long stay is a kind but unusual gesture. Concierge tips are rare; A$10–20 for securing something special is generous. At luxury resorts, tipping is a little more common but still never required.
Taxis & Transport
Taxi drivers in Australia don't expect a tip. Rounding up to the next dollar or two is a common courtesy (e.g. A$37.40 → A$40), and a few extra dollars is nice if the driver helped with luggage or waited for you. Note that paying a taxi by card usually adds a surcharge. For Uber, DiDi and Ola, tipping in the app is possible but not expected.
Tours, spas, cafés & more
Cafés: no tip for coffee — a tip jar on the counter is for spare coins at most. Pubs and bars: Australians don't tip bartenders; buying rounds ("shouting") is the local custom. Food delivery: optional, A$2–5 in the app if you like. Hairdressers and spas: not expected, though rounding up is appreciated. Tour guides and boat crews (e.g. Great Barrier Reef day trips): optional, A$10–20 per person for an outstanding full-day tour is a generous thank-you. Free walking tours run on tips — A$10–20 per person.
Common practice
Tipping is optional across the board. Rounding up or leaving up to 10% for excellent restaurant service is becoming more common in cities but is never expected.
Typical examples
A A$100 dinner for two: leave nothing, or A$5–10 if service was great (A$10 is roughly US$6.50 or £5 — exchange rates fluctuate). A Sunday brunch of A$60 with a 10% public-holiday surcharge: no tip needed on top. A A$37 taxi ride: round to A$40. Two schooners at the pub: no tip.
Helpful note
Our Australian preset starts at 0% with round-up, because tipping isn't expected. Pick 10% for excellent restaurant service, or 5% for a nice gesture; no one will be offended either way.
Frequently asked questions
Do you tip in Australia?
Not usually. Tipping is optional because staff earn good minimum wages; people tip mainly at restaurants for excellent service, up to about 10%.
How much should I tip in an Australian restaurant?
Nothing is required. For great service, 5–10% is generous; for normal service, rounding up or no tip is fine.
Is it rude not to tip in Australia?
No. Not tipping is the norm in cafés, pubs and taxis, and is perfectly acceptable at restaurants too.
What is the Sunday or public holiday surcharge in Australia?
Many cafés and restaurants add 10–15% on Sundays and public holidays to cover higher wages. It should be displayed on the menu, and it is not a tip.