We recommend tipping a taxi or cab driver 15–20% of the metered fare, in cash or on the card screen.
Do you tip a taxi driver?
Yes. We recommend a tip on a metered taxi or cab ride.
How much to tip a taxi driver
This page is a metered taxi: a street hail or a dispatch, with the meter fare as the base. It is not an app. Uber and Lyft are on How much to tip an Uber driver. A ride in New York City is on how much to tip a taxi in NYC.
Total fare before tip
Base tip percentage before adjustments
Quick presets
Tip Amount
$4.50
Total
$29.50
Effective tip
18%
The calculator starts at 18%. Leave Luggage on None and Traffic Conditions on Normal, because the other settings change the rate. Some luggage multiplies the tip by 1.05, heavy luggage by 1.15, light traffic by 0.95, and heavy traffic by 1.10. Enter the metered fare. These rows are examples of the 15–20% recommendation. They are not a city rate.
| Example fare | Tip at 15% | Tip at 18% | Tip at 20% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $11 | $1.65 | $1.98 | $2.20 |
| $24 | $3.60 | $4.32 | $4.80 |
| $38 | $5.70 | $6.84 | $7.60 |
| $62 | $9.30 | $11.16 | $12.40 |
A $24 fare at 18% is a $4.32 tip. At 20% it is $4.80. At 15% it is $3.60.
Do the math in your head
- Move the decimal one place to get 10%. A $24 fare gives $2.40.
- Half of that is 5%. Half of $2.40 is $1.20.
- Add them for 15%: $3.60. Double the 10% figure for 20%: $4.80.
The percentage keeps a long ride and a short ride on the same rule.
Cash or the card screen
Cash: put the tip on top of the fare, or hand it after you pay the fare. Card: choose a percentage inside 15–20% on the reader, or type the dollar amount. If the reader only offers amounts outside 15–20%, type your own figure. You do not tip twice. If you added the tip on the card, do not hand the same tip again in cash.
An airport run uses this same 15–20% on the fare you were charged. If the airport sets a flat fare, tip on that fare.
City pages
Where a city has its own page, use that page for anything local and keep this same 15–20%.
When to use 15% or 20%
Use 20% when the driver loads bags or adds a stop you asked for. Use 15% for a direct ride. Skip the tip if the driver is rude or takes a route you did not agree to.
More tipping guides are on the travel hub.