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The average restaurant tip at Toast restaurants in the U.S. is 19.3% at full-service restaurants (FSRs) and 15.8% at quick-service restaurants (QSRs) as of Q1 2026. Across all restaurant types, the overall average tip held steady at 18.8%. Tipping has stayed relatively stable over the past two years. Full-service tips have hovered between 19.1% and 19.4%, while quick-service tips have held near 15.8–16.0%.
These figures are based on aggregated card and digital tip transactions from restaurants on the Toast platform, which serves roughly 171,000 locations as of March 31, 2026, and are updated every quarter. Cash tips are not included in this analysis.
Q1 2026 Data • Last updated: June 24, 2026 • Source: Toast Platform Data
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Key takeaways
What is the average tip at a full-service restaurant?
The average tip at a full-service restaurant in the U.S. is 19.3% (Q1 2026). Full-service tips dipped to a seven-year low of 19.1% in Q2 2025, then recovered to 19.2% through the second half of 2025, before ticking up to 19.3% in Q1 2026. Full-service guests consistently tip several points higher than quick-service guests, a gap that Toast data has tracked for years.1
What is the average tip at a quick-service restaurant?
The average tip at a quick-service restaurant in the U.S. is 15.8% (Q1 2026). Quick-service tips have been flat at 15.8% for six consecutive quarters. Toast research suggests guests value personal interaction and are less inclined to tip for automated or counter-service experiences, which helps explain the persistent gap between QSR and FSR tip rates.
What is the average tip for takeout at a restaurant?
The average tip for takeout service at Toast restaurant in the U.S. is 13.7% (Q1 2026). Guests tend to tip the least for takeout, or not at all, likely because service is typically lower in this model. Those who do leave a tip for takeout transactions left 13.7% in Q1 2026.
How much should you tip at a restaurant?
There is no single rule around tipping, and unless an automatic gratuity is included in your bill, tipping in the U.S. is optional. But real-world behavior offers a benchmark: U.S. diners tip about 18–20% at full-service restaurants and roughly 14-16% at quick-service spots. A common guideline is 18–20% for sit-down table service with a server, and 15% or rounding up for counter or quick-service orders.
Some guests will tip more for exceptional service, and recently, Toast found that restaurant regulars tend to tip more at their favorite spots. According to a Toast survey of 1,500 U.S. adults who dine out or order in at least twice a month, 77% of respondents tip more at restaurants where they’re regulars. 46% leave an additional 5% to 10%, and 37% leave an extra 10% to 15% or more on top of their standard gratuity.2
There are other factors that affect how people might tip, including automatic gratuity, service fees, local and state wage laws, taxes, and more.
Tips also vary by state — see the state-by-state breakdown below.
QSR vs. FSR tip rates: how do they compare?
Full-service restaurants consistently outpace quick-service on tipping by roughly 3.5 percentage points. The table below shows the eight-quarter trend in average tip rates by restaurant type.
Quarter | Quick-service restaurant tips | Full-service restaurant tips |
|---|---|---|
Q2 2024 | 15.9% | 19.3% |
Q3 2024 | 15.9% | 19.3% |
Q4 2024 | 15.8% | 19.3% |
Q1 2025 | 15.8% | 19.4% |
Q2 2025 | 15.8% | 19.1% |
Q3 2025 | 15.8% | 19.2% |
Q4 2025 | 15.8% | 19.2% |
Q1 2026 | 15.8% | 19.3% |
Average restaurant tip percentage by state (2026)
Delaware tips the most (22.1% overall); California tips the least (17.3%). “Overall Tips” is calculated by taking the total amount of tips divided by Gross Processing Volume. It is not the average of QSR tips and FSR tips for the period.
State | Overall | FSR | QSR |
|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 19.3% | 19.9% | 16.3% |
Alaska | 19.3% | 19.5% | 17.1% |
Arizona | 19.2% | 19.7% | 15.7% |
Arkansas | 18.9% | 19.3% | 15.8% |
California | 17.3% | 17.7% | 14.8% |
Colorado | 19.4% | 19.9% | 16.8% |
Connecticut | 19.4% | 19.9% | 15.2% |
Delaware | 22.1% | 22.5% | 18.8% |
District of Columbia | 17.5% | 17.8% | 14.6% |
Florida | 18.3% | 18.6% | 15.4% |
Georgia | 18.8% | 19.1% | 16.0% |
Hawaii | 18.6% | 19.0% | 15.7% |
Idaho | 19.5% | 20.1% | 16.2% |
Illinois | 19.1% | 19.5% | 15.8% |
Indiana | 20.7% | 21.1% | 17.0% |
Iowa | 20.1% | 20.4% | 17.4% |
Kansas | 19.8% | 20.4% | 15.5% |
Kentucky | 20.6% | 20.9% | 18.0% |
Louisiana | 18.5% | 19.0% | 15.7% |
Maine | 20.5% | 21.3% | 15.9% |
Maryland | 19.4% | 19.7% | 15.9% |
Massachusetts | 19.6% | 20.3% | 15.0% |
Michigan | 20.0% | 20.6% | 15.9% |
Minnesota | 19.5% | 20.0% | 16.0% |
Mississippi | 18.7% | 19.0% | 16.4% |
Missouri | 19.8% | 20.2% | 16.9% |
Montana | 20.1% | 20.7% | 17.3% |
Nebraska | 19.9% | 20.3% | 16.7% |
Nevada | 18.2% | 18.6% | 15.8% |
New Hampshire | 20.9% | 21.7% | 15.5% |
New Jersey | 18.7% | 19.2% | 13.4% |
New Mexico | 19.0% | 19.4% | 17.1% |
New York | 18.7% | 19.1% | 15.3% |
North Carolina | 19.4% | 19.8% | 16.9% |
North Dakota | 19.4% | 19.8% | 17.0% |
Ohio | 20.7% | 21.1% | 17.7% |
Oklahoma | 19.4% | 19.8% | 16.6% |
Oregon | 19.2% | 19.7% | 17.4% |
Pennsylvania | 20.2% | 20.7% | 16.3% |
Rhode Island | 20.1% | 21.1% | 14.6% |
South Carolina | 20.2% | 20.6% | 16.8% |
South Dakota | 19.8% | 20.1% | 17.1% |
Tennessee | 19.4% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
Texas | 18.6% | 19.1% | 16.0% |
Utah | 18.9% | 19.6% | 15.2% |
Vermont | 19.6% | 20.2% | 16.7% |
Virginia | 19.2% | 19.7% | 15.6% |
Washington | 17.8% | 18.2% | 15.7% |
West Virginia | 21.0% | 21.4% | 18.9% |
Wisconsin | 20.2% | 20.5% | 17.6% |
Wyoming | 20.7% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
The map below is interactive and shows the average tip percentage across all 50 states for Q1 2026, broken down by full-service and quick-service. To change the view to quick or full-service tips by state, click on the tabs at the top of the map.
Related Data by Toast research
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