Restaurants in several US FIFA World Cup host cities have begun automatically adding 20% gratuities to customer bills after a wave of international fans skipped tipping altogether, leaving American servers and bar owners frustrated.
According to the New York Post, eateries in cities including Kansas City, Atlanta and Philadelphia have introduced the automatic charge during the tournament, with industry groups and restaurant operators saying it is meant to protect servers who rely heavily on tips and to remove confusion for visitors unfamiliar with American tipping norms.
World Cup fans haven’t been tipping in the United States, and restaurants are fighting back
They’re now adding 20% to bills automatically, as visitors aren’t used to tipping culture and staff had to explain it’s expected pic.twitter.com/DyxeJYU8tw
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) June 25, 2026
Visitors from countries where tipping is minimal or already factored into menu prices told the BBC they were caught off guard by the expectation.
England supporter Geoff Pryor told BBC he understood tipping for good service but found it “weird” when buying a bottle of water and “they try to get a tip for doing nothing.”
Australian fans Chris O’Flynn and Robert McNamara told the BBC the practice had added unexpected strain on their budgets. O’Flynn said he still finds it “a bit confusing why it exists,” adding, “in Australia you have a flat fee, and you pay it.” He said the responsibility to pay staff fairly should rest with businesses, not customers.
Restaurant owners told the outlet the frustration runs both ways. Chris Keller, owner of Brooklyn football bar Banter, said European tourists are “notoriously bad tippers,” prompting him to introduce pre-paid service charges for reserved customers “to protect our staff.”
Ann Calimano, co-owner of Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar in New York, said many European guests are unaware that, unlike at home, service charges aren’t built into US prices.
The NY Post reported that the shift has triggered backlash on social media. One fan wrote on X that the system “would potentially make some sort of sense if there was the option for me to go and take the food myself,” arguing it mainly benefits employers rather than staff.
Another fan wrote, “Imma be real, it’s not my problem you can’t pay your employees right.”
Rosa Thurnher, owner of Los Angeles restaurant El Ponce, told the BBC that a 20% tip is “pretty standard” in the US, largely because of the country’s distinct minimum wage structure for tipped workers compared with the rest of the world.
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup Round of 32 Fixtures: Full Schedule, Dates, Kick-Off Times And Format Explained
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