Tipping in Canada is very similar to that in the United States due to the relatively close nature of the two countries. Like their American counterparts, waiters in Canada receive a 15-20% gratuity for good service.

Tips make up the majority of a server's salary because most restaurants pay their staff minimum wage. Wait staff must also tip out to the kitchen, bus staff, hostess and others too, meaning they may only take home 8-10% of a given tip. Servers sometimes must pay out of their own pockets if a minimum tip is not given.

Tip: Calculated gratiuties in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labroador can be done simply by using the amount of sales tax printed on the receipt.

Other services where tipping is customary include hairdressers, aestheticians and taxi drivers. The standard gratuity is usually about 10% of the final sale price but varies by customer.

Hotel staff are often forgotten when it comes to gratuities. Tipping for house keepers varies depending on the hotel as the cleaning schedule usually changes each day. The best method is to leave a tip at the front desk or on the bed pillow. Hotel porters, or bellhops, should also be tipped. The uusal amount is $2.00 per bag or $5.00 for two. They also appreciate gratuities for such things as room service, ice delivery, bottle openings and other services not included with the room.

Heads up: Some hotels charge a fee for room service which goes directly to the porter or bellhop. Be sure to check the receipt. If not, most receipts provide a space for tip amount.