In countries where the tip is automatically added to a restaurant check, are the waitpeople paid the actual tip amount, or just paid by the hour?

Depends on the country. In France, service compris may never see the waiter’s hand. In other countries, it is doled out amongst staff, and in others it is given to the waiter.

It’s paid in their wages which are high. Tipping isn’t done here but sometimes a gratuity is put on there.

As @trailsillustrated said, we’re seeing gratuities added to the bill more here. However, you don’t have to pay the gratuity. I know my husband deducts it from the bill if he sees it there (or just doesn’t pay that portion) and doesn’t feel inclined to leave a tip. He’s not a tipper unless he feels the service warrants it.

I would doubt very much it reaches the wait staff.

In Australia the tip is optional?

Yes. We don’t have a ‘tipping’ culture. People here are paid a good minimum wage so there isn’t the justification to tip.

I thought Australia was like many European countries, the tip is already on the check. I don’t think of it as being optional. Except the option to tip more if you want to.

No. More places are putting a suggested gratuity on the bottom of the bill but you don’t have to, nor are you expected to, pay it.

Our minimum wage is $640 per week for a 38 hour week. As a rule, Australians aren’t tippers. You’d tip if the service/food was excellent but otherwise, no.

So, where do they get the chutzpah to even suggest a tip on the bill? A blank space fine, but an actual extra amount? Seems nervy to me. How much is it typically?

That’s how my husband sees it too. I know he has complained in the past about a figure being suggested, but I just asked how much it is and he said mostly there is now often a space on the bill with ‘Gratuity’ printed where you can write in an amount. However, we wouldn’t add something in there. If we wanted to tip, which isn’t a common occurrence, we’d make sure it went to the waiter directly.

So, there isn’t an actual amount there? Am I understanding correctly?

They don’t even put an amount that is an automatic add on? Like a line item so you know a tip was added in?

For instance, as an American, I look at the bill to see if the tip was included. The only way I know is if it is a line item. I vaguely remember in Europe, the countries I’ve been to, it says on there what the gratuity is. It’s not optional, and then there is an additional line for extra gratuity. In America we have the same thing for restaurants that automatically add the tip. Most of the time our restaurants don’t add the tip. The exceptions are large parties, usually 8 or more, and places like South Beach in Miami at most restaurants on the beach for all checks, because not getting tipped by Europeans or tipped very low by Latin Americans got old fast I guess.

I don’t normally pay the bill. My husband said in most cases, it’s a space for you to write the gratuity. I’m not sure if @trailsillustrated has a different experience in Melbourne. I know he has said the amount has been included on occasions, because he got quite irritated by it. The space requesting a gratuity is a fairly recent inclusion here.

But, is there a line on the check that tells you the gratuity you are charged? Let’s say ten years ago so I am clear that I am not talking about the new space for gratuity.

He has told me he’s seen an actual amount in the past, but most places just have a space. I’m not sure if @trailsillustrated was talking about an actual $ amount or a space for you to fill in. She’s in Melbourne (I think) and things could be different there although I haven’t noticed that when we’ve been down there.

I still think we are miscommunicating. I’m not sure how to explain my question better. Or, maybe I am just misunderstanding your answer.

I’m in adelaide. There is a gratuity if it is a large party. Other than that, no tipping. It isn’t done in Australia and if you tipped they’d probably try to give it back.

Remember, dining out is an expensive exercise here.

There is no tip as a line item, it simply is included in the actual price of the food? If my menu says lasagna is $25 I will see on the check $25 + tax = total and that’s it. No gratuity is expected. Is that correct?

I’m in Norway. Tipping is very much optional. There is a line for it on some pay systems at restaurants but it is NOT mandatory you tip. Our wait staff is paid a proper wage with proper benefits. If a server goes out of her/his way to accommodate something for my son, I’ll leave a small tip. When I go to the US, I tip VERY well. Eating out is crazy cheap by comparison and those poor waiters and waitresses in the US are hardly paid enough to keep a mouse fed and housed.

When I’m at a bar or cafe and no one is going to come to our table and all is ordered and picked up by us at the counter… that is NO TIP, regardless of what their system spits out when I pay.

@cazzie Is there a line item for a tip that was charged? Or, you just pay the food price plus taxes? How is it written on the bill? I’m not talking about the optional blank space for tips you described as sometimes appearing on the check.

No, there is no ‘amount’ or even suggested amount. It is just a blank area to fill in and they would never ever add an amount here automatically for ‘gratuity’. It simply isn’t done.