Tipping in Singapore: How Much and When to Tip | Anytime Valets

Tipping in Singapore: Your Handy Local Guide

You’ve probably heard Singapore doesn’t have much tipping culture, and that’s quite true. Most places include a 10% service charge—but here's a local tip: that charge often gets split among all the floor staff, making it a pretty small amount per person. So, while it helps a bit, most service staff still prefer individual tips if you think they did a good job.

Here’s a rough guide on how much to tip if you feel the service deserves it:

🏨 Hotel and Hospitality

  • Bellman (Porter): Around $4–$15 is normal. For regular guests at fancy hotels, some senior staff might even see tips in the hundreds.

  • Doorman: Usually about $2–$10, especially if they help you with your bags or taxis.

  • Concierge: Around $5–$15 if they help you with something special like bookings or recommendations.

  • Housekeeping: Not common, but if you tip, about $5–$10 per night is a nice gesture.

🚖 Transport & Valet Services

  • Grab or Taxi Drivers: Usually small change like $0–$2. Not required but always welcome.

  • Valet Parking Attendants: $2–$10 normally, sometimes more than $10 during special occasions like Chinese New Year.

  • Drive-Home Valet Services: Around $10–$30 is common, but festive seasons (like CNY, Christmas, or New Year) can see tips up to $50.

  • Car Servicing Pickup/Delivery Drivers: Tips are less common, but when given, can range widely up to $100. Drivers definitely appreciate it if you do.

🍽️ Food & Beverage Outlets

  • Restaurants & Cafés: Usually, there’s a 10% service charge already included, but feel free to leave an extra tip (around 5–10%) if the service is excellent. Staff appreciate individual tips more because service charges are usually shared among all the staff.

  • Bars & Disco Clubs: For bartenders and servers, about $2–$10 per round or table is common. Sometimes people just round up the bill.

🎒 Tour Guides & Leisure Services

  • Tour Guides: Common to tip about $50–$100 at the end of private tours, usually whatever SGD cash is left over. Group tours might tip slightly less, around $10–$20 per person.

  • Buggy Drivers: Usually about $5–$20 depending on how helpful or friendly they were.

📲 How to Tip in Singapore

  • Cash is most common, but PayNow has become very popular too, especially among younger service staff.

  • Some customers also like to tip by treating service staff to food or drinks, which can really make someone's day!

🌏 Cultural Notes on Tipping

In Singapore, there’s no such thing as “over-tipping.” The bigger the tip, the happier you make someone’s day. Locals appreciate generosity, and service staff always feel grateful, especially because tips often significantly boost their daily income.

If you also interested about how to get around Singapore, you may read this article.
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