In some countries, you’ll receive a sigh and a shrug of the shoulders if you don’t leave a bit extra when paying for food, drink or service. In others, you’ll risk a frosty reception – or worse. Yet elsewhere people expect nothing and in a few nations, workers don’t want gratuities at all. So what’s going on with tipping culture? Where did it come from, why does it remain so divisive, and are there any (ahem…) tips on how to avoid embarrassment? 

Read on to discover the history of tipping and how various countries around the world settle their bill, loosely ordered from keenest to least keen on tips.  

All dollar amounts in US dollars