Tipping in Canada: 2026 Guide for Travelers

Restaurants: Tip on the Pre-Tax Amount

The Canadian custom is to calculate the tip on the subtotal — food and drinks before tax. On a C$80 dinner, 15% is C$12, 18% is C$14.40, and 20% is C$16. Use 15% for adequate service, 18% for good service, and 20% or more when the server went out of their way. Our 15% tip calculator does the math if you’d rather not.

At most restaurants the server brings a portable card machine to the table. You tap or insert your card, then pick a tip from preset buttons (often 15%, 18%, 20%, sometimes higher) or enter a custom amount. Many terminals apply those percentages to the after-tax total, which nudges the tip up. Choosing “custom” or “other” and entering a dollar figure keeps it at the traditional pre-tax amount.

Large groups: many restaurants add an automatic gratuity, often around 15–18%, for parties of six or eight or more. Check the bill before tipping again — see auto-gratuity explained.

Understanding GST, HST, and PST on Your Bill

Canadian menu prices almost never include sales tax. It’s added at the end, and the rate depends on the province you’re in:

• GST — the 5% federal Goods and Services Tax, charged everywhere. Alberta and the three northern territories add no provincial sales tax on top.
• HST — the Harmonized Sales Tax, a single combined federal-provincial tax used in Ontario (13%) and the Atlantic provinces (roughly 14–15%).
• PST — a separate provincial sales tax shown on its own line next to GST in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
• QST — Quebec’s provincial sales tax, just under 10%, charged alongside the GST.

A shortcut many locals use: in Ontario, the 13% HST line is close to a 15% tip, so take that figure and round up. In Quebec, adding the GST and QST lines together lands almost exactly on 15% of the subtotal. Add a little more for good service.

Tipping in Quebec

Tipping (pourboire) in Quebec follows the same 15–20% range as the rest of Canada, and servers in Montreal and Quebec City rely on it just as much as those in Toronto or Vancouver. Bills and terminals usually show French first: sous-total is the subtotal, TPS is the GST, TVQ is the QST, and pourboire is the tip line.

Quebec has tightened its consumer rules on tip prompts so that suggested percentages are meant to be based on the price before tax. Still, glance at the screen: if the preset amounts look high, enter a custom figure. At cafés, bakeries (boulangeries), and counter-service spots, tipping is optional even when the terminal asks.

Bars, Coffee Shops, and Takeout

• Bars: C$1–2 per beer or simple drink, more for crafted cocktails, or 15–20% if you run a tab.
• Coffee shops and quick service: tip prompts appear at almost every counter. Nothing is required; many people tip around 10% or drop their change in the jar for a complicated drink order.
• Takeout: optional. 0–10% is normal, a bit more for a large or fiddly order.
• Food delivery apps: C$3–5 or 10–15% of the order, more in snow or heavy rain.

Taxis, Hotels, and Other Services

Taxi and rideshare drivers are usually tipped 10–15% of the fare; round up on short rides and add a couple of dollars if the driver handles heavy bags. In hotels, leave C$2–5 per night for housekeeping (daily, since the person cleaning your room can change), give porters about C$2 per bag, and tip a concierge C$5–20 for a hard-to-get reservation. Our hotel tipping guide covers each role in more depth.

Hairdressers, barbers, spa therapists, and tattoo artists are tipped 15–20%, the same as in the US. Tour guides typically get C$5–10 per person for a group day tour and 15–20% for a private guide. Ski instructors and fishing or wilderness guides are commonly tipped 10–20% of the lesson or trip price.

US dollars are sometimes accepted near the border and in tourist areas, but usually at a poor exchange rate, and your change comes back in Canadian dollars. Pay and tip in Canadian dollars, or use a card with no foreign transaction fee.