The bill is the bill. Chinese service staff are paid a wage rather than a tipped minimum, and the transaction is understood to be complete when you have paid the stated amount. Adding money is not generous so much as confusing.
Where it genuinely does not apply#
- Restaurants — no tip, no service charge in the vast majority of places. Paying by QR code means there is not even a line to add one to.
- Taxis and DiDi — the fare is the fare. Rounding up is unnecessary; drivers will often hand back the change you were not expecting.
- Cafés and bars — no.
- Hairdressers, massage, nail salons — no.
- Hotel housekeeping — no.
Where a tip has become normal#
Private tour guides and drivers. ¥50–100 per day each is now a common courtesy on private tours, particularly ones booked through international operators. It is genuinely appreciated and is not expected in the sense that its absence causes offence.
Porters at five-star international hotels. ¥10–20 is fine. These are hotels operating to an international script.
That is close to the whole list.
What replaces tipping#
Two things, both worth knowing.
The two-finger tap. When someone pours your tea, tapping two fingers on the table is a silent thank-you. It started as a Cantonese custom and has spread widely. Doing it correctly is noticed.
Fighting for the bill. In a social meal, the person who invited pays, and the argument over who pays is genuine rather than performative. Offering to split can read as declining hospitality. If someone insists on paying, let them, and reciprocate on another occasion.
Service charges#
Some upmarket restaurants in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong add a 10–15% service charge, which will be printed on the menu. Where it appears, that is the whole of it — no further tip.
Hong Kong is slightly closer to Western practice: a 10% service charge is common in restaurants, and rounding up a taxi fare is normal. The mainland is not.
More on the social logic behind all of this — including face, gift-giving and the rules of a Chinese banquet — is in our etiquette guide.