How to tip? Tipping in Portugal in 2024 and other countries

In the usual sense, the word "tip" or gratuity means money given for a small service over and above the supposed.
It is not known where the concept itself came from, but most researchers are inclined to believe that it appeared in England. The main versions are three:

• Version 1. Creepy.

Allegedly, in the Middle Ages, before execution, the future victim or his inconsolable relatives paid the executioner to do his job as well as possible. This money was called "throat money".

• Version 2. Linguistic.

The word may derive from a secret criminal language in late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century Britain, where "to tip" meant "to unstick, to give someone a part of". In the early 18th century it entered literary English with the meaning "to share, to give something small".

• Version 3. Worldly.

It consists of the fact that the concept appeared in the XVI century when the English originated the tradition of tea drinking - the famous five o`clock. If guests stayed overnight in the host's house, they left money to his servants for tea and biscuits.

It is interesting that once in some countries the practice of tipping was the foundation of public catering, and the servants had no wages at all. It was the only money they were getting paid. They had to give part of their tips to their master.

Nowadays, tips are usually left in restaurants, hotels, beauty salons, taxis, musicians, and tour guides. Many mobile apps have an "Add Tip" function for taxi drivers or couriers.

There can be many reasons to leave a tip for a client. From a good mood and a sunny day to a desire to demonstrate their generosity.
The most obvious reasons why a client can leave a reward, for example, in a restaurant is:

• the taste and original presentation of the dishes;
• attentive, fast and professional service;
• comfortable atmosphere of the institution.

There are also non-obvious services, for which the client is likely to reward the one who showed care to him. For example: you offered the guest to charge his mobile phone, looked after the children, helped the tourist to orientate in the city, suggested interesting places and sights. Not only do the team's tips depend on such a cordial attitude, but also on whether these guests will return to the restaurant. And hence the total income of the whole establishment.

In different spheres of business the receipt and distribution of tips is organised in different ways. Somewhere tips are taken mainly in cash, and somewhere, as in the case of Bill&Tip partners, they use a QR code, which a guest can easily scan with his smartphone and transfer electronic money, the use of which is rapidly growing around the world year by year, pushing cash into the past. Somewhere (usually in establishments favoring cash) a tip at the end of a shift, or more often at long intervals, is shared by all. Where additional tipping tools are used, such as our cashless tipping app, credit is given instantly to each employee. According to feedback from teams this is a great way to keep on top of their finances.

When it comes to the restaurant industry, business owners value tips as a significant part of their employee reward system. It is recommended to regularly evaluate the total monthly income of employees: salary with bonuses and tip amount. This helps to keep employee income levels competitive. Business owners have noticed that in recent years, guests are increasingly leaving tips through services like Bill&Tip. This simplifies the process and makes it possible to collect feedback from guests on the quality of service and determine the rating of the best on the team.

Tipping is a great motivator for the team as it directly increases personal income.

Employees say that knowing the basics of proper communication and service standards allows you to feel the guests and choose the way to communicate with them. And you also need to be able to leave everything personal behind the doors of work, because the guests feel it. We touch on this topic in more detail in other Bill and Tip blog articles on service. Read and share with those who might find it interesting and useful!

However, there is another secret ingredient - the atmosphere of the place. Everything from the car park, the entrance area and the cloakroom all combine to influence a guest's experience and their decision to tip.

In most countries around the world, the standard tip is 10% of the bill. Tipping in Portugal (tipping in Lisbon, tipping in Porto) is similar to Sweden, Brazil, Estonia, Czech Republic, Italy, Norway and many other countries.

In Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and China it is considered a gross insult to tip money. At the same time in China tips are taken, for example, by group guides and tourist bus drivers, simply because their salaries are small and they will be happy to have extra income. The amount of the gratuity is left to the discretion of the tipper.

There is no tipping in Switzerland, as local laws require that charges for all services must already be included in the price the guest sees on the price list.

In the US, in most places you will have to pay 20% of the order. Exactly have to, because it is an obligation. If you give less or don't pay, the client will point out the mistake, and if you refuse to pay, in some states they may even call the police.

In the UK, in restaurants, tipping is often already included in the bill and comes as a service charge. This is usually 12.5% of the bill. Tipping can be asked to be excluded from the bill, but you will have to justify your request. On average, it is customary to leave 5-10%. The same rules in beauty salons and taxis.

Berlin guides do not complain about the lack of tips, which are usually the same 5-10%.

For most people around the world, the natural desire to thank a person who has shown attentiveness, professionalism and a high level of service remains unchanged.

It seems that tips are with us forever. Realities change only the way of their receipt. Cash is giving way to more convenient and modern methods of payment, such as payment by QR code.

Taking care of you and your business,

Bill&Tip (Bill and Tip) Team.

Want to learn more about how Bill&Tip can help your business or request a consultation from our team, simply follow this link.

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