Tips for tipping in Mexico

Published June 27, 2023

by Janet Blaser

The bagger at the grocery store, the man helping you park outside the store, waiters, the porter at the airport who helps with your baggage, the receptionist checking you in at the front desk, the maids cleaning your room every day, the woman in the ladies’ bathroom handing you toilet paper. And there’s that ubiquitous tip jar sitting on counters everywhere.

Who should be tipped? When? How much?

The tipping landscape has changed so much in recent years that many of us are experiencing what’s been dubbed “tip fatigue.” It seems that everyone wants a tip (propina in Spanish), even without direct or personal service.

Trying to figure it out in another country is even more overwhelming, with a different culture, currency, language and customs. Mexico’s informal, cash-driven economy adds another layer to an already confusing set of expectations—you can’t assume, for instance, that waiters will ever see the tip you add when paying with a credit card (it is better to leave the gratuity in cash if you can.)

Sure, there’s lots of information online—from reputable places like TripAdvisor, Frommer’s, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, etc.—but recommendations differ widely as to what’s proper and expected, and don’t necessarily cover the fine points of tipping in everyday life, like what to tip the baggers at nearly every Mexican grocery store.

Read more […]