In the U.S., tipping culture can be confusing even for seasoned diners. Between dine-in service, delivery, counter service, and online ordering, the question keeps coming up: Is tipping on takeout food necessary?

Some customers feel tipping is only for tableside ordering, while others believe any food service warrants a tip, no matter how it’s delivered. This uncertainty is amplified by digital payment systems that automatically prompt gratuities, even when you’re just picking up a bag at the counter.

In this blog, let’s clear up the confusion for customers who want to know what’s fair and for restaurants looking to set clear expectations with their guests.

How the Pandemic Has Changed Takeout Tipping

Tipping at restaurants has always been a prevalent practice in the US. However, during the pandemic, when people were hesitant to dine in, the appreciation towards third-party delivery partners and curbside pickup staff increased.  

As things have returned to normal, people have started going back to restaurants again. According to US Foods, 55 percent prefer dining at restaurants over ordering takeout or delivery in 2024, compared to 43 percent in 2023. However, tipping on takeout food has sustained as people have become more empathetic towards the back-of-house staff and delivery agents.  

There is, though, confusion about how much to tip for takeout and delivery. Let’s address it in the next section.  

How Much Should You Tip for Takeout?

The standard tip for dining is typically 18 to 20 percent. But when it comes to takeout and delivery, people are uncertain about how much to tip. While some etiquette experts recommend a 5 to 10% tip for takeout, others suggest 15%.  

How much to tip for takeout and delivery depends on several factors, like -  

Order Complexity

How much to tip depends on what you are ordering because some items take more effort to prepare and package. For instance, if you order one cheeseburger, the restaurant puts it in a single bag and cooks it in a few minutes. For this, a small tip of 5% is fine. On the other hand, if you place a complex takeout order, including pasta, salads with dressing on the side, dessert, and beverage, you can pay 15% as the staff would have to put in a lot of effort.  

Type of Restaurant

Consider where you are ordering from before tipping on takeout food. For instance, fine dining restaurants have to pack gourmet items carefully to preserve their aesthetic value. On the other hand, a fast-food joint would not go through many hassles in preparing and packaging fries.    

Location

The tipping culture could also vary between different parts of the country. Los Angeles could have a different tipping value from New York.  

Considerations When Tipping On Takeout Food

Tipping is your choice. However, tipping while picking up the order makes the restaurant staff feel appreciated for their hard work. Also, when you tip during dining, you are not only tipping the server but also the back-of-house staff. You should approach tipping on takeout food similarly.  

Here are some things to keep in mind when tipping on takeout food.  

Minimum Wages  

The US has increased minimum wages by $0.50 in all cities. However, the restaurant staff still depends heavily on tipping to make ends meet. According to the National Restaurant Association, 90% of 4,000 tipped workers prefer the current tip credit system over higher flat wage models, while more than 87% feared their earnings would drop if employers were required to pay the full minimum wage amount.

Hard Work Involved

Even though takeout does not involve table service, it does not mean that the restaurant staff does not put in an effort. From preparation to packaging, both FoH and BoH staff work hard to ensure pickup is on time.

Quality of Service

During takeout or curbside pickup, the quality of service depends on server interactions, packaging material, timely delivery, and more. A restaurant staff that offers good service even during pickup warrants a good tip.  

Your Budget  

Tipping should always feel fair and doable for you. If you’re picking up takeout frequently, you may not always tip the same as dine-in service, but leaving even a small amount, like $1–$3 on small orders, makes a difference to staff.  

How Restaurants Can Set Expectations Around Takeout Tips

Tipping at takeout should be a transparent process in restaurants. Some people want to give tips but aren’t sure how to do so. Restaurants can build a good tipping process by -  

Clear Messaging - Restaurants must let customers know that typing is appreciated but not mandatory. Forcing tips leads to bad guest experiences.  

Tip Suggestions - Restaurants must make the tipping process easy for the customers. Every payment channel must be integrated with a tipping feature that suggests predefined values. It relieves customers from the pain of calculating tips.    

Train Staff Around Tipping - Since there is still confusion around tipping on takeout food, the staff must be well-trained to handle queries about it. Restaurants must ensure that all workers give the same answer to customer queries, or they might lose trust.    

NOVA: Streamlining Tipping at Takeout for Customers  

NOVA is a full-stack restaurant management platform that encompasses all FoH and BoH functions, including POS, kitchen display systems, loyalty programs, tip management, workforce management, and more. Choose NOVA and free yourself from the hassles of fragmented tools and data silos.  

NOVA ensures an easy tipping and payment process for customers ordering takeout by -      

Tip Integration

The tipping feature is integrated with the POS and other payment channels to ensure minimal wait time and hassles for customers. Ensure guest satisfaction and enhance table turnover rate.    

Tip Management and Distribution

NOVA enables fair tip distribution through pre-defined pooling policies. Integrate tips with the payroll and pay staff directly to their bank accounts.  

AI Voice Ordering

NOVA’s AI-enabled voice ordering personalizes the ordering process for customers. Whether ordering through phone, at curbside, or in-store, the AI engine optimizes customer interactions by filtering noise and understanding dialects. Restaurants can increase the average order value with personalized suggestions.  

NOVA Webstore

NOVA offers a webstore for your restaurant, which can be customized to the brand identity and business requirements. Customers get complete visibility of the restaurant on multiple channels, like Instagram and Google. Guests can schedule a pickup or request a delivery within minutes.    

Dynamic Menu Updates

NOVA enables restaurants to update menus in real-time on multiple platforms and locations based on inventory status, most-sold items, customer preferences, and more. Customers get accurate item availability status while ordering takeout.  

Fully Integrated Solution

NOVA is a comprehensive platform that facilitates real-time and accurate data flow between Front of House and Back of House. This enables restaurants to provide customers with accurate pickup times for takeout, eliminating the waiting time.      

To know more, book a free demo of NOVA today.

To Sum it Up!

Tipping on takeout food has picked up after the pandemic. However, customers are still confused about how much to tip and what takeout deserves a tip. Although most industry leaders have different theories about the same thing, it is the customer’s choice. Restaurant staff put in a lot of effort in preparing and packaging food for takeout. Moreover, the delivery personnel ensure the food reaches customers in time. Tipping them shows appreciation for their hard work and sincerity.  

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