Tipping is a concept that most people are familiar with and it is often associated with giving thanks or appreciation to the workers that had served you or helped you. 

However, it can be a tricky business depending on where you are. 

In Singapore, tipping is not necessarily practiced, although it is not discouraged either. You are free to tip the employee if you want to give thanks. 

Do you need to tip in Singapore? 

Giving a tip is not necessary in Singapore since there’s already a service charge of about 10% and a 7% Goods and Services Tax (GST) levied on your bill automatically. 

The 10% service charge is often enough to cover the services of the workers who have helped you in a hotel, restaurant, airport, and taxi. However, if you still insist on giving a tip, there is no rule that says you are not allowed to do so. 

Keep in mind, however, that there are some places that discourage tipping the employees; one such place is Changi Airport.  

Since the workers are already paid a fixed amount by their employers, any amount of tip you give would be appreciated by establishments that don’t ban tipping. 

Therefore, you don’t have to worry about how much is too little when you give an employee a tip. 

Tipping Etiquette in Establishments in Singapore

Even though tipping isn’t practiced in Singapore, a lot of staff will still appreciate getting a little something for their efforts. 

If you insist on tipping employees, here are some of the tipping etiquette you need to know depending on the establishment. 

Restaurants 

The average tip amount for restaurants in Singapore is between 10% to 15% of your meal. It can change depending on where you are as well. 

In Singaporean restaurants, you will usually see a 10% service charge that you need to pay with your bill. With that, tipping isn’t necessary since this charge covers the work that the employee has done for you. 

If you insist on tipping in a restaurant due to the exemplary service of the crew, just know that your tip will most likely go to the establishment itself and not the server, unless you hand them the money yourself.  

The amount of your tip in restaurants can increase or decrease depending on whether you are eating in a high-end place or a regular establishment. The size of your party can also affect how much you may hand out to the server. 

As for bars, you are free to tip the bartender any amount you see fit. While hawker food stalls, much like cafes, don’t necessarily expect tips. 

Taxis 

Money is money so taxi drivers will most likely accept a tip if you give them one. However, it is not necessary and was even discouraged by the government. 

The average tip for taxis for long journeys in Singapore is usually 5% or 10% of the amount you have to pay for your fare. 

Although tipping taxi drivers are not necessary, it is not rare to see people give a little extra, especially if the journey is long and the driver helped load and unload luggage. 

In most cases, people prefer to simply round off their payment to the nearest dollar when tipping.  

Hotels or Guesthouses

Hotels in Singapore do not practice tipping and even discourage it — except for bellhops, which is a service that requires one of the hotel attendants to carry your luggage to your room. 

The average amount of tip people give to bellhops in hotels is around $1 to $2 per bag. 

The hotel already charges 10% for their service and this covers the concierge, doorman, and other crews, so tipping is no longer necessary whenever you check in or out of a hotel. 

Airport 

The Changi Airport in Singapore does not allow employees to accept tips.

The next time you visit Singapore’s Changi Airport, do not attempt to slide in cash to the people serving you since the airport doesn’t allow it regardless if you are in the airport restaurant or spa.  

The reason why tipping isn’t popular in Singapore is that most of the employees are already paid a fixed amount for their efforts, unlike in other countries where crews rely on tips to earn. 

Moreover, establishments in Singapore already charge a service fee to ensure that the work of their employees is paid for, so tipping isn’t necessary unless you truly insist on it. Just keep in mind that some places strictly prohibit tipping.