Travel App Review No.3 - Globe Tipping

This is part of an occasional series in which I review handy apps for the smartphone wielding traveller. Today I review the GlobeTipping app.

One of the things which Australian travellers to the United States most dread is the tipping. It’s not that we don’t want to adequately recognise and reward service, it’s that we just don’t quite understand the process – how much is expected, who gets tips, who doesn’t. And as a result, Australians get a reputation for being terrible tippers.

It’s such an alien concept to us that restaurant staff can be paid so low a hourly wage that the tips are not a ‘gratuity’ as such, but actually part of their expected remuneration. In Australia, the higher wages are lumped into the menu prices together with the GST tax and pretty much what you see is what you pay.

At first glance food prices in New York, for instance, seem quite low by comparison to similar in Melbourne, but by the time you add in the state taxes (8.875%) and the tip (15-21%), that $15 burger is now close to $20. (And that’s not to mention the currency conversion!)

And as for hairdressers, beauticians, concierges…it’s a minefield we have to carefully pick our way through, attempting not to cause offence, without over-tipping at the same time.

And just when you get your head around the tipping practices in the US, you travel somewhere else which has different customs again.

So I was pleased to find the Globe Tipping App, which is available in both iPhone and Android versions. I have the iPhone version.

GlobeTipping features a simple calculator that allows you to calculate the tip based on a variety of percentages. Then it adds that to the base total for a final amount. It doesn’t calculate the taxes, but in the United States, state taxes are already shown on the bill when you receive it at the table (NB: technically, you should calculate the tip on the pre-tax amount, but the difference is insignificant).

It also allows you to calculate split bills including the desired tip if you’re sharing the bill between a group of diners

Then you can save your favourite scenarios so that you don’t have to re-enter those details each time (e.g. tip of 17%, split two ways).

This is all useful stuff, but could be done almost as easily with the calculator on your phone.

What I really like about the app, is the information it offers about tipping across 200+ countries. It is handy to have that information in one place and is quick to access. For example, select ‘Singapore’ and it tells you that:

Tipping is not required in Singapore. Restaurants do however often add a 10% service charge, eliminating an need to tip.

Restaurants – Generally no tips are required. Upscale dining will auto-gratuity 10%.

Porters – none

Taxis – none

According to the information contained in the app, the global details are based on Wikitravel content which is licensed under CC-by-SA 1.0. So that means that the information is only as good as what is updated by the Wiki contributors. To test it out, I read the information about tipping in Australia.

On the whole, I thought it made sense. Although I think it underestimates the prevalence of tipping in restaurants. Perhaps though, it’s just locals who are expected to tip (5-10%) as part of building rapport with the staff for future visits? Maybe, as tourists, you could walk away from an Australian restaurant without leaving any tip?

Geez, no wonder tipping is confusing overseas…we’re not even 100% certain about what we do at home!