TIPPING IN FRANCE -- an update

 

(AUGUST 2025)

UPDATE TO TIPPING

We’ve been in Paris now for 18 years, long enough to watch the city change in all sorts of ways—some charming, some not so much. One of the newer changes I’ve noticed recently happens not on the plate, but at the moment of paying the bill.

Traditionally in France, the service is already included—that 15% “service compris” you see on your bill isn’t a suggestion, it’s the law. And because servers here earn a living wage with healthcare and benefits, tipping has always been optional and almost always given by Americans. When Parisians do tip, it’s extremely modest—a few coins left on the table, or rounding up to the next euro. Nothing more dramatic than that.

But lately, and to my dislike and dismay, in the busier, touristy spots, I’ve started seeing something new. The little portable card reader is handed over, and suddenly a screen pops up with tip suggestions: 10%, 15%, 20%—I even saw one where the middle option was 22%! It made me angry. But then I realized it wasn’t an accident. By-the-way, these prompts are not shown to French tourists, only to american tourists.

Here’s the funny part: when I’m out speaking French and paying with a French card, the machine often skips the tip screen entirely. Yet, when I’m with English-speaking friends—or worse, using an American credit card—the tip menu magically appears. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Now, for Americans, this is disorienting. At home, leaving 20% is so automatic it’s almost muscle memory. But in Paris, it’s not necessary. You’re not taking food out of your server’s mouth if you don’t leave extra. If the bill is €78 for three people, rounding up to €26 per person is easily divisible and is perfectly polite. That’s it. In fact, leaving 10% or more here is often seen as extravagant—or as if you’ve just announced to the room, “Hi, I’m a tourist, please take advantage of me!” Or a feeling of guilt by not tipping. I say DON’T.

Of course, there are exceptions. If you’re dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant and the service is impeccable, you might leave €10 or €20 on a €500 bill. But even then, it’s a choice, not an obligation. I go with what feels right, not with what the machine tries to nudge me into.

What worries me is this creeping American tipping culture making its way across the Atlantic. If visitors start treating Paris the way they do New York or Los Angeles, before long we’ll be asked to tip everywhere—even at self-service coffee counters. And honestly, that’s the last thing Paris needs.

SUMMARY 

Some might think I’m being stingy, but that’s not it at all. What I don’t want is for Paris to slip into the same tipping culture that’s taken over in the U.S. There, by the time you add tax, a tip of 20% or more, and sometimes even a “service fee” meant to cover things like healthcare for servers, a simple meal can end up costing more than 1/3 over the the original price. That’s not appreciation anymore—it’s obligation. In France, tipping has always been a small gesture of thanks, not a requirement, and I hope it stays that way.

So, my advice, after nearly two decades of watching how things really work here: round up e.g., at cafe bill comes to €4.10, leave €5, keep it simple, and don’t let the machine guilt you into tipping like an American. You’re not being greedy—you’re just living like a Parisian.



A TIP IN FRANCE IS APPRECIATION, NOT OBLIGATION. 

If you're interested, here’s a clear snapshot comparison of how waiters are paid in France vs. the U.S.:

🇫🇷 FRANCE

• Base Pay: Waiters are considered salaried employees. They earn at least the French minimum wage (SMIC), which in 2025 is around €1,766 gross/month (~€1,398 net after taxes). Many earn a bit more depending on experience and establishment.
• Benefits: Full employee benefits — health care, paid vacation (5-weeks), pension, unemployment protection.
• Tips: Service charge (~15%) is already built into the menu price. Tips left by customers are small “thank-yous,” not survival money.
• Distribution: If they get tips usually it goes straight to the server; no obligation to share with kitchen or bar.
• Result: Being a waiter is treated as a stable profession with legal protections.

• 🇺🇸 UNITED STATES 

• Base Pay: Tipped minimum wage (as low as $2.13/hr federally). Servers rely on tips to reach even basic minimum wage.
• Benefits: Rarely include health insurance, paid leave, or retirement unless at upscale venues.
• Tips: Main source of income, often 60–80% of total pay. Strong expectation from customers.
• Distribution: Servers often must “tip out” 15–30% to bartenders, bussers, and others, reducing take-home pay.
• Result: Being a waiter is often precarious work, heavily dependent on customer generosity.

👉 NET-NET

In France, waiters are salaried employees with stability, and tips are not necessary, but just to say thank you, go get a cup of coffee on me. 

In the U.S., waiters live off tips, splitting them with coworkers, and base pay alone is not livable.