Tipping at Swiss restaurants
In Swiss hospitality, service has been included in prices since 1974. A tip is therefore a voluntary extra – and, as the industry association GastroSuisse puts it, not part of anyone’s wages. Switzerland Tourism’s guideline is around 10% or rounding up.
In reality, many Swiss tip less, and tips are tending to shrink. A survey by Bank Cler found:
- On a CHF 200 restaurant bill, people left about CHF 9 on average – roughly 4.5%.
- On CHF 30, it was about CHF 2.50 – roughly 8.5%, mostly by rounding up.
Rule of thumb: for small amounts, round up to the next franc or the next five; at a restaurant, around 5%; for excellent service, up to about 10%.
Cafés and bars
Round up to the next franc – CHF 4.80 becomes 5, CHF 11.70 becomes 12. Nobody expects more.
Taxis and Uber
Round up to a round figure, from CHF 45 to CHF 50 for example. In the Bank Cler survey, the average tip on a CHF 50 taxi ride was around CHF 2.30. With Uber, tipping in the app is optional.
Hotels
- Porters: CHF 1–2 per bag.
- Housekeeping: CHF 1–2 a night, optional.
- Room service: CHF 2–3 per delivery.
- Concierge: only for exceptional help – then CHF 5–10.
Tours and mountain guides
For guides – on a city walk in Zurich or Lucerne, or a guided day in the mountains – CHF 5–10 per person per day is usual; private guides get around 10%. Free walking tours are paid through tips.
Tipping by card and TWINT
Card terminals and TWINT, the Swiss payment app, now often suggest percentages – sometimes even for takeaway. Many people find this pushy, and the Swiss consumer protection foundation insists that declining must be possible at a glance. If you want your tip to go straight to your server, give it in cash; tips paid by card may be shared among the whole team.
Depending on the language region, say “Es stimmt so” (Swiss German “Scho rächt so”), “C’est bon comme ça” or “Va bene così” when you pay.
Worked example: dinner in Zurich
Dinner for two, a bill of CHF 86.40:
| Tip | Amount | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Round up to CHF 90 | CHF 3.60 | CHF 90.00 |
| 5% | CHF 4.32 | CHF 90.72 |
| 10% | CHF 8.64 | CHF 95.04 |
Most people would round up to CHF 90. The calculator above also shows roughly what that is in US dollars. Travelling on to Austria or Italy? Customs change again there.
Sources
Last reviewed: . Based on official tourism boards, laws and public authorities, consumer organisations, and established travel guides and media. Tipping is always voluntary – all figures are guidelines.
- Switzerland Tourism: tipping myswitzerland.com
- GastroSuisse (hospitality association): tips gastrosuisse.ch
- The Local Switzerland: why the Swiss are tipping less (Bank Cler survey) thelocal.ch
- Newly Swissed: complete guide to tipping in Switzerland newlyswissed.com
- Blick: Swiss consumer protection foundation on tip prompts blick.ch
