What do you need to know regarding tip in Turkey ? This is a question that you inevitably ask yourself if you travel to Turkey, or if you settle there, because you don’t want to make any mistakes…
The question of tipping arises as soon as you arrive in a country: should you leave a tip? If so, by how much, what percentage? What are the local mores?
The bahşiş (tip in Turkey), a Turkish custom
Defined by the Turkish Language Association (TDK) as “an additional amount of money given apart from the fee paid for a service rendered, money for a coffee”, tipping, bahşiş in Turkish, is a must. of Turkish daily life. Indeed, any service can be tipped in Turkey, in restaurants or cafes of course, but also at the hairdresser, or for the valet of a restaurant. It would be considered ayıp (shameful/rude) not to tip a courier who delivers an order to your doorstep. For the taksici (taxi driver), it is common to round up above the price of the trip (ex: for a trip of 96 TL, we will leave 100 TL).
10% of the bill for cafes and restaurants in Turkey
If nothing obliges you to do so, it is however strongly advised to leave a tip in cafes and restaurants. Custom in Turkey is to leave 10%* of the bill (hesap). And this practice has become so entrenched that many restaurants now indicate it on the bill as servis or servis bedeli (“cost for service”), or simply with an extra line at the bottom of the bill” 10%”. Also note that some restaurants charge for the kuver (cover), an amount that takes into account the setting of the table, the bread etc. This amount varies between 5 and 30 TL per person.
In this case, it is not necessary to leave an additional tip. This practice, which has tended to develop in recent years, is far from unanimous among Turkish consumers, and may ultimately disadvantage the waiter, because some customers would have gladly left more than 10%.
What is certain is that tips are a significant additional income for those who serve, knowing that service jobs are often paid around the Turkish minimum wage (asgari ücret, 4,250 TL since January 1, 2022 – around 270 euros at the current price). So, if you are satisfied with the service, do not hesitate to leave a little more, especially since it is not uncommon for you to be offered, in certain restaurants, a tea/coffee or even a fruit platter such as ikram (gift).
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