Fans who have travelled to the United States for the FIFA World Cup 2026 are expressing frustration with the country's tipping culture, describing it as confusing, costly, and inescapable — even when buying a simple bottle of water.

A culture shock for international visitors

England supporter Geoff Pryor, who is travelling across the US for the tournament, said he found it strange to be prompted for a tip when purchasing a bottle of water. "They try to get a tip for doing nothing," he told the BBC. He acknowledged, however, that he understands tipping at restaurants where staff deliver genuine service. "I appreciate they're not paid as much as perhaps back in the UK, but overall the service is generally good, so when it's good they deserve a good tip," Pryor said.

Australian fans Chris O'Flynn and Robert McNamara said the combination of high match ticket prices and constant tipping requests had put serious strain on their wallets. "I still find it a bit confusing why it exists," O'Flynn said. "In Australia you have a flat fee, and you pay it. Here people ask for, or expect, tips. Sometimes you don't know how much you're supposed to tip."

McNamara added that the expectation of a tip after every single drink adds up fast. "You're buying a drink and adding $5 on. It's difficult to comprehend," he said.

Maiko Asahi, visiting from Tokyo with her family to watch Japan play in Dallas, said tipping is not practised at home in Japan. "The prices without the tips are already very expensive, with tipping it is way too much," she said. A fellow Japanese supporter named Akihiro, travelling with his son, also noted that even the most affordable restaurant meals cost around $30 before a 13–20 percent tip is added.

Bar and restaurant owners push back

On the other side of the counter, hospitality workers and owners have noticed a pattern. Chris Keller, owner of Banter, a football bar in Brooklyn, told the BBC that British and European tourists are consistently poor tippers. "It's always the case. There's no getting around it," he said. Keller has since changed his reservation system to require customers to pre-pay for drinks, including a service charge, in order to protect his staff's income.

Ann Calimano, co-owner of Hurley's Restaurant & Bar in New York City, said the World Cup has brought a surge of foot traffic during what is typically a quieter period. But she noted that many new visitors are unfamiliar with the local custom. "Europeans don't tip like the American people," she said. "That's the culture." When a table runs up a $600 bill without leaving a tip, her bartenders are trained to politely ask whether the service was satisfactory — and then explain that, unlike in Europe, the service charge is not included in US prices.

The wage structure behind the custom

The reason tipping is so embedded in US dining culture comes down to wages. In Atlanta, the minimum cash wage for a tipped server is just $2.13 per hour. If a worker's combined tips and base pay do not meet Georgia's minimum wage of $7.25, the employer is legally required to cover the shortfall.

Rosa Thurnher, owner of El Ponce restaurant and a board member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, said the World Cup has highlighted how differently tipping norms play out around the world. "It's very different around the world, but in the US it is unique the amount of tip that is expected in our industry. For here, 20% is pretty standard," she said. "And that is mainly due to the fact that the minimum wage and wage structure is very different here."

Joseph Pitruzelli, owner of Wurstküche in Downtown Los Angeles, said his restaurant keeps suggested tip ranges between 10 and 20 percent — though he has seen other venues suggest as much as 30 percent. In California, the base wage for tipped employees stands at $16.20 per hour, among the highest in the country, yet tips remain an essential part of income across the industry.

"If they don't receive any tips, it's impossible to survive in the service industry," Thurnher said — a reminder that for all the frustration felt by visiting fans, the stakes for American hospitality workers are far higher than the cost of a round of drinks.