# Is tipping in Canada considered an insult? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662 "2002-12-10T01:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racosun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@racosun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racosun)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/1 "2002-12-10T01:09:23Z")
I live near the border (US side) and someone told me that leaving a tip at a Canadian restaurant is considered an insult. Is there any truth to this? Personally, I don’t see how it could be an insult. More money is more money, period. If you bust your ass and do a good job, then you deserve a little extra, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/2 "2002-12-10T01:16:16Z")
Gah! Whoever told you that is utterly wrong. Wating staff everywhere in the country would smite you with Moose Pox if you don’t leave a tip. Helpful hint: Since our taxes are so high, it’s often easiest to figure out the tip by looking that the tax on the bill. E.g. In Ontario, the total of all our taxes are a whopping 15%. So on the bill you just need to look fo rthe GST and PST and there you go – a generous tip is calculated out for you and no mental math required. ---
**Author:** ![Jerevan\_Somerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@Jerevan\_Somerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerevan_Somerville)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/3 "2002-12-10T01:37:29Z")
Ditto. It never ceases to amaze me how little we Americans know about our neighbors and best allies to the North. Set your friend straight, **racosun**! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/4 "2002-12-10T01:54:19Z")
I had heard that generally the tip is included in the bill in Canada. Sounds like this is also BS, eh? ---
**Author:** ![sx633](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@sx633](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sx633)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/5 "2002-12-10T01:54:26Z")
For those of us in Detroit, that would be our neighbors to the south. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/6 "2002-12-10T02:08:30Z")
I asked my SO if she had ever heard “is tipping in Canada considered an insult?” and her answer was as follows: “PAAAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAA!!! Hee-hee-hee-hee-ha-ha-ha! Stop! No more! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…\ \” and so on. The tipping rules in Canada are about the same as the U.S. Rest assured, your instincts are good. Someone may have been pulling your friend’s leg. Sometimes a smartass will spread cultural disinformation like telling our friendly neighbours that we drive on the left side of the road etc. Just to mess with yer head. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/7 "2002-12-10T02:14:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*I had heard that generally the tip is included in the bill in Canada. Sounds like this is also BS, eh? \*\* Not that I know of except in the following situations: 1. _Some_ restaurants have policies for large groups. Like if your whole office shows up during the lunch hour. If that is the case, they’ll advise you ahead of time. 2. _Sometimes_ the tip is inlcuded on major public holidays (Christmas, New Year’s etc.). ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/8 "2002-12-10T02:27:43Z")
Eats\_Crayons: I thought the 15% tax was applicable only in Ontario? And I must say I was ignorant and only noticed that your idea of just looking at the tax as opposed to doing it in the head is much better 🙂 As for the OP: I tend to tip 15% and any small change. Many restaurants will add the tip to the original bill, but many people might still tip beyond that. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/9 "2002-12-10T03:01:14Z")
It’s true! _Never, ever_ tip a Canadian service provider. It is about the vilest insult they can imagine, ie “You think I am so poorly paid I need your consecending charity, arrogant Yankee!” Tipping a Canadian is an offense second only to the supreme insult of using the word “hullabaloo” in front of a Canadian, the consequences of which are too terrible to mention. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/10 "2002-12-10T03:17:12Z")
Taxes add up to approximately 15% in Quebec as well…about 7% GST and 6% PST, just like in Ontario. IIRC (and there’s a good chance I don’t), Alberta doesn’t have a PST, and so the only tax they would have on the bill is the 7% federal government one. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/11 "2002-12-10T03:26:33Z")
I do know that tipping casino dealers - as is common practice in Atlantic City and in Nevada - is _verboten_ in Canada. I tried tipping the woman Blackjack dealer whose table I’d been at all night in Montreal. She and everyone at the table gasped at my obvious attempt to “bribe” the house. She quickly passed the chip back to my side of the table. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/12 "2002-12-10T03:56:45Z")
One difference is that in some parts of the US I beleive that people in the service industry have their wages reduced by what they’re expected to make in tips, and can therefore be making on the order of $2/hr and rely on tips to bring that up to a living wage (or at least that what a lot of Americans complain about in all the tipping threads here). In Canada the minimum wage isn’t reduced that way, and it doesn’t matter how much you make in tips - you still get it. The provinces differ, but minimum wage ranges from around $6 to around $9/hr, regardless. So in a sense Canadian servers might not _need_ a big tip as much as their American counter parts, but in no way is giving one discouraged. As **Eats\_Crayons** touched upon, some Canadians have great fun speading false (sometimes quite obviously so) “facts” about Canada to Americans just to see how gullible they are. Watch “Talking to Americans” with Rick Mercer for examples of this on TV… sometimes it can actually be quite funny when he gets US governors or Harvard professors to signs petitions to ban the Canadian practice of placing their elderly on northerly ice flows to perish, or getting US opinions on whether Russia should be invading Saskatchewan or not. He even got Bush himself a little while ago showing that he aparently does not know what our PM’s name is :D(Jaques Poutine???)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/13 "2002-12-10T04:11:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Tipping a Canadian is an offense second only to the supreme insult of using the word “hullabaloo” in front of a Canadian, the consequences of which are too terrible to mention. \*\* Did you just say what I think you said? The H word? I know this board tolerates swearing but I think you just stepped over the line there. And just so you know, tipping is the 3rd worst offence. The real second worst offence is selling inferior quality maple syrup. You do **not** want to know what happens to those guys… ---
**Author:** ![Melraidin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Melraidin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melraidin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/14 "2002-12-10T04:23:33Z")
Alright, I’m Canadian, and I sure don’t have a clue what’s up with the word ‘Hullabaloo’ on this board. Only time I’ve ever heard it used in a regular conversation was referring to Hullabaloo Raves, a Toronto based company that holds the largest Happy Hardcore parties in North America. Anyway, yes, we definitly do tip in Canada. What you tip is your decision, althought 10-15% is average. I of course rebel against this and rarely tip over 10%, since the service in most of these places absolutely blows. Ah well, you decide. Just for your information though, the usual wage for a server in an average restaurant around here is $5.85. ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/15 "2002-12-10T04:24:00Z")
That would explain why Canadians are famous here in the Northwest for not tipping. Not small tips, but none! I have never been a server but I have certainly had to listen to my share of them. A waitress in this state makes around 2 dollars an hour and is expected to make up the rest of their wages from tips. So, is there a cultural difference between Eastern and Western Canada regarding tipping? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/16 "2002-12-10T04:33:01Z")
It’s 15% everywhere, and anyone who doesn’t tip decent service is an ass. Either side of the border. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/17 "2002-12-10T04:41:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bare \* > \*\*That would explain why Canadians are famous here in the Northwest for not tipping. Not small tips, but none! > > \*\* They’re equally famous in this regard here in Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/18 "2002-12-10T05:00:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Melraidin \* > \*\*snip… > Ah well, you decide. Just for your information though, the usual wage for a server in an average restaurant around here is $5.85. \*\* That’s what, about $1.60 US?? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/19 "2002-12-10T06:46:02Z")
Tonite on Andy Rooney: Why do those Canadians always say all that stupid stuff? Quote: \*\*Alright, I’m Canadian, and I sure don’t have a clue what’s up with the word ‘Hullabaloo’ on this board. Only time I’ve ever heard it used in a regular conversation was referring to Hullabaloo Raves, a Toronto based company that holds the largest Happy Hardcore parties in North America. Anyway, yes, we definitly do tip in Canada. What you tip is your decision, althought 10-15% is average. I of course rebel against this and rarely tip over 10%, since the service in most of these places absolutely blows. Ah well, you decide. Just for your information though, the usual wage for a server in an average restaurant around here is $5.85. \*\* Why do those Canadians always have to start out their day with an “Ah”, or an “Eh”, or an “OK”? Or maybe just the first letter “A”… I don’t like the letter “A”,… it’s too hard to write… in capitals… and I really don’ t like the way it looks like a guy in a funny hat, letters shouldn’t do that. Really, though, I like the way Americans ask each other questions all the time, like: What’s up? How’s it goin? Hey. See that game last night? And we love… to ask each other, and, to answer these questions… by cell phones… all day long…HHNNNRRRONK, SSSSSSSHHHHH…HNNNNRONK… \ ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662/20 "2002-12-10T13:41:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mmmiiikkkeee \* > \*\*In Canada the minimum wage isn’t reduced that way, and it doesn’t matter how much you make in tips - you still get it. \*\* Wrong. Minimum wage is a provincial jurisdiction, and several provinces _do_ have lower wages for those expected to earn tips. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tipping-in-canada-considered-an-insult/141662.md?page=2)