Tipping currency
 

I did a text search but couldn't find the answer.<BR><BR>It seems that it is advised to bring a lot of US 1$ bills for tipping. Is it better to tip in $ or Yuan? Any difference?

I should have indicated I was asking about China.

There is no tipping in China, and until recently many hotels had signs expressly forbidding it. The Chinese do not do it, so respect that, and don't do it either.<BR><BR>All the people you will come into contact with and who would normally (in the US, that is, but not necessarily in other countries) be tipped are already doing far better than most of the rest of the population. If you must give money away, save it for the obviously destitute, maimed, unwell, etc. you'll see on the street. Dollars are no use to you in China (although if you insist on giving them away no one's going to say no).<BR><BR>If any hotel management discovers a staff member has been even hinting a tip would be welcome, that person is likely to be fired.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html<BR>

I meant tipping for the tour leader and driver. It seems that they are tipped. Aslo the staff on the yangtze boats.

Only because it doesn't occur to passengers that usages abroad might be different, and they insist on doing it (not the Chinese ones, however). These people on the boats are already doing very nicely compared to the average Chinese, and you can bet they themselves never tip anyone under any circumstances. <BR><BR>The situation is as set out above. Passengers who allow themselves to be pressured into a tip (or who pressure themselves) are being taken for a ride in more than once sense.<BR><BR>If the 'tour leader' is a foreigner who has accompanied the group the whole way, that's another thing--Western rules (whatever they may be) apply. But if the 'tour leader' is a Chinese, who is already doing very nicely out of the group, and may indeed have had to pay for the right to lead it, then they don't.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

This is interesting information, and I don't mean to dispute Peter's statements. However, the tour I took to China was with a Chinese company based in NY city who did only China tours. The information I received from the company prior to departure included suggested amounts for tipping guides and drivers in US dollars. We had no western guides, only local Chinese guides in each of the places we visited. Perhaps a copy of this post should be sent to all the companies doing China tours ????!!!!

This tells you something about the tour company, I think...<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Hi, Dave.<BR>Tipping used to be explicitly forbidden in China. However, nowadays, more and more drivers and tour guides DO expect reasonable tips. It is true you do not need to tip taxi drivers and waiters in restaurants. Personally i think tipping in Chinese Rmb is also ok. <BR>Welcome to China and have a good trip.<BR><BR>

You shouldn't really tip. It is only some visitors 'now' tipping that is changing the situation. If you do tip, tip local. But it would be better for everyone to refrain from doing so.

As already discussed, and with reference to the posting-but-one above, China tour operators are not necessarily reliable sources of information on this issue. And as Morgan points out above, its only that foreigners (not Chinese) keep handing out free money that leads to an expectation that more free money is going to be handed out.<BR><BR>Tipping in US$ is going to be welcome because even the meanest sum a tour group could make itself give in its own hard currency is going to be likely equivalent to what it would give on a tour in the developed world. And that (especially after a quick change on the black market) may amount to a month or more's extra salary, on top of kick-backs from shopping trips, from the ticket offices at sights, from restaurants, and so on, all of which you are indirectly paying for. <BR><BR>Some estimates give some tour guide incomes as US$30,000 per annum. I don't believe that, which would give them about 20 times the amount of a well-educated teacher in an urban area, but that some people in the tour business believe it is an indication of just how much better than the average person these people are doing.<BR>It's no wonder that tour operators are starting to charge them for the pleasure of taking out tour groups, and thus no wonder that tour operators encourage you to tip. In the end it reduces their costs, or may allow them to charge guides higher fees for the pleasure of leading a tour. <BR><BR>And *of course* RMB is all right--it's the local currency, for heaven's sake. And 'tipping local', whatever that means since locals never tip but simply pay a negotiated price for services rendered, would be a very small amount in RMB.<BR><BR>By all means tip if you want to, but it isn't the local custom to give out free money (ask yourself why beggars target foreigners), so if you feel yourself to be sensitive to local customs, or if you mind that you're paying well over the odds already, don't tip.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Hello Dave, I spent 3 weeks in mainland China, Hong Kong and Bangkok almost one year ago. We were on a tour (based out of NY also) and we did tip the tour guides in each place and also the bus driver, very minimum. I think we tipped in whatever we had at the time. They accept either. I think if you use US $, it is more money for them. I was also told to bring $1 bills and they did come in handy. Keep pleanty of small monies handy (local currency) to buy bottled water etc. For the Yangtze Cruise, we tipped the cabin boy and some staff and anyone who we thought gave exceptional service beyond their call. I think it is expected. Did not tip in restaurants etc. Not necessary. Also if you have loose change and want to give it to a taxi driver etc. it is perfectly okay, but not expected I don't think. Enjoy yourself, it is the trip of a lifetime and one you will NEVER forget.

Good grief! I give up.

Hi Dave,<BR><BR>Chinese guides are paid a commission to steer tour groups into certain restaurants and gift shops. Just remember that before you tip, and also that the "bargain" price a guide just negotiated on your behalf may have included a kickback.<BR><BR>I was born in China, but raised in North America and thus am used to tipping. But when in China, I travel with locals and I would advise you never to tip except under exceptional circumstances. Anyone telling you differently is either misinformed or may have a personal agenda.

If you decide to tip, do so in cash only, preferably RMB. In example, gratuities that are added to a credit card charge at restaurants seldomly make it into the pockets of the wait staff.