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Restaurant tipping with payWave?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    Restaurant tipping with payWave?

    Is it normal to tip in restaurants in Hong Kong? If it is, what is a normal amount to tip and how do they expect people to tip when they just give you back your credit card with no place to fill in the tips because they are now using payWave?


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2021
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    Quote Originally Posted by arbi312:
    Is it normal to tip in restaurants in Hong Kong? If it is, what is a normal amount to tip and how do they expect people to tip when they just give you back your credit card with no place to fill in the tips because they are now using payWave?
    It is not normal to tip in East Asia in general. However, tips won't be refused in Hong Kong if you insist. If the POS terminal does not allow tipping, then either leave cash or ask the attendant for another method of tipping.
    arbi312 likes this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Hong Kong
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    Even if the POS terminal allows for tipping, I recall a meal at HKIA Crystal Jade (back when the airport wasn't a ghost town)... I wanted to tip but the waiter told me quite sternly "don't bother - we don't get any of it anyway".

    How delightful it must be working for Maxims!

    If you want to tip... give cash.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Tip in cash directly to the waiter. More common in western style restaurants - mid to upmarket.


  5. #5

    Join Date
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    TIPPING IS NOT MANDATORY OR COMMON!!!

    dont be forced to TIP for no fecking reason like they do in the States.

    here you tip what you feel like tipping if you really enjoyed it, if there is already a 10% service charge I dont even bother tipping.

    edit: If Im drinking at a bar and a bottle of beer is 35$ at happy hour, bartender or waitress gives me 65$ back in change, ill leave the 5$ coin on the tray, I dont want to go home at the end of the day with pocket full of 5$ coins lol

    spode, eightfivetwo and qhank like this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    Recall a Sai Kung resto with a sign that said something like "We don't have a service charge, how bout a tip?"

    One of the best things about eating out in Asian is no-tip culture (however I always tip taxis here and elsewhere by rounding up or more for an airport fare).

    If there's any level of something that even approaches what most of us would consider "service" in HK then there's always a 10% charge attached.

    eightfivetwo and qhank like this.

  7. #7

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    Jul 2005
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    Learnt the no tip rule quickly here in Penang.

    I had just had a very decent haircut at the local Indian barbers for a whopping RM8.

    I offered RM10 and said keep the change. ( I know, I am almost a philanthropist)

    The barber simply said, "No need" and thrust the notes back at me.

    qhank likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    281
    Quote Originally Posted by arbi312:
    Is it normal to tip in restaurants in Hong Kong? If it is, what is a normal amount to tip and how do they expect people to tip when they just give you back your credit card with no place to fill in the tips because they are now using payWave?
    It is up to you if you want to leave a tip or not. Do note that the service charge of 10% doesn't go to the waiter. Don't feel discouraged from the people here that don't want you to tip. Do what you want to do, not what they want you to do.
    rainylin likes this.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cornmeal:
    Recall a Sai Kung resto with a sign that said something like "We don't have a service charge, how bout a tip?"

    One of the best things about eating out in Asian is no-tip culture (however I always tip taxis here and elsewhere by rounding up or more for an airport fare).

    If there's any level of something that even approaches what most of us would consider "service" in HK then there's always a 10% charge attached.
    I don't understand why you tip taxi drivers but not atleast 50% lower paid F&B staff?
    My sister inlaw's English speaking husband is a HK taxi driver, and he regularly cleared $25 - $30k, plus scored a couple of unclaimed phones/laptops most months. They also own two apartments outright.
    blandy62 likes this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    1,478

    I'll tip pretty generously for decent service, even more so if the staff have put up with a big drunk group for an extended period with good humour. I have the same aversion to the US approach as most on here, but it really doesn't hurt to drop a couple of hundred dollars for the staff after a big brunch etc. As it's so rare it will get remembered when you come back too.

    Granted I've very rarely felt any need to tip the locally run places though... nothing that approximates service is ever forthcoming. Vicious cycle really.


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