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Singaporechecked Jul 2026Tipping in Singapore
Singapore is not a tipping country. Most restaurants add a 10% service charge, shown as the ++, so a tip is already built in. At hawker centres and for taxis, no tip is expected. Here is what you actually owe.
At a glance
Tipping
Not customary
Restaurants
A 10% service charge (the ++)
On the bill
Service charge plus GST
Hawkers, taxis
No tip
Singapore is not a tipping country. Most restaurants add a 10% service charge, shown on menus as the ++ (service charge plus GST), so a tip is already built in and you do not add more. At hawker centres and for taxis, no tip is expected. Tipping is not part of the culture, and it was long discouraged (famously so at the airport). Otherwise, the total on the bill or meter is what you pay.
Tipping is not customary here
Singapore does not have a tipping culture. At hawker centres, food courts and for taxis, no tip is expected, and staff earn a wage. Tipping has long been officially discouraged, most famously at Changi Airport, where it is asked that you do not tip.
So for most of your spending, the bill or meter is final and you keep your change.
The ++ : a 10% service charge
At sit-down restaurants, the thing to understand is the ++ you see on menus and bills. It means a 10% service charge plus GST are added on top of the listed prices. The service charge stands in for a tip, so you do not add more.
So a menu price is not the final price at these places: expect the total to run about 19% higher once the service charge and tax are added.
The rest, and paying
Elsewhere, no extra tip is needed: not at hawker stalls, cafes or in taxis. Where a service charge is added, that is the tip. For the wider picture, see cash or card in Singapore and the Singapore money guide.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do you tip in Singapore?
No, it is not customary. Most restaurants add a 10% service charge (the ++), which stands in for a tip, so you do not add more. At hawker centres and for taxis, no tip is expected.
What does ++ mean on a Singapore menu?
It means a 10% service charge plus GST are added on top of the listed prices. The service charge stands in for a tip, so you do not add more, but expect the total to run about 19% above the menu price.
Do you tip at hawker centres in Singapore?
No. Hawker centres, food courts, cafes and taxis do not expect a tip. You simply pay the price shown or the meter.
Do you tip taxi drivers in Singapore?
No, it is not expected. The metered fare (plus any booking or surcharge shown) is what you pay.
More on Singapore
The little money things nobody warns you about.
- Do I need cash in Singapore, or can I use cards?Short answer: a card for almost everything, a little cash for hawker stalls. Singapore is very card-friendly, and even many hawker centres now take cashless. Here is how to handle it.
- Bringing your dog or cat to Singapore.Singapore is unusual among rabies-free destinations. Unlike Australia, New Zealand, or Japan, the US now sits in Singapore's middle tier, which means no quarantine by default. The process is more about paperwork choreography than a long wait: licences filed on time, a rabies titer with strict timing, and, since April 2026, an approved pet agent to clear your pet on arrival. Two specific situations still trigger a 10-day home quarantine, so the whole game is avoiding those. Here is the route.
Sources, and how this was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
- US State DepartmentSingapore country information
Our own readSingapore's no-tipping norm and the ++ service charge are well established, and GST is currently 9%, so the total runs roughly 19% over menu prices. Amounts here are our own read from recent traveler reports and local guidance. Checked July 2026.