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World Cup: Some restaurants plan automatic 20 percent tips

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by Andrew Dorn - 04/24/26 8:15 PM ET

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by Andrew Dorn - 04/24/26 8:15 PM ET

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(NewsNation) — Millions of fans are set to visit the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup this summer, and some restaurants are planning to add automatic gratuities to support staff while international visitors accustomed to different tipping norms are in town.

The Missouri Restaurant Association, for example, has advised Kansas City restaurants to add a 20 percent automatic gratuity during the tournament, as the city gets ready to host six games and an estimated 650,000 visitors.

“We just want to make sure that the servers and bartenders — anyone who collects a tip — actually collects a tip,” said Trey Meyers, director of marketing and communications for the Missouri Restaurant Association.

Though it’s only a recommendation from the association, Meyers said most of its roughly 800 members in the Kansas City metro area are planning to implement the policy for the 40-day event.

“What we hear from restaurateurs is they are going to do anywhere from 18 percent to 22 percent,” he said.

Tipping at a sit-down restaurant is standard in the U.S., but customs vary around the world, and in many countries, gratuities are not expected, or service charges are already included.

Those differences could affect U.S. restaurant workers in host cities this summer, many of whom depend on tips to get by. In Missouri and across much of the country, tipped workers receive a lower base minimum wage than other workers.

Restaurants in the Boston area, set to host seven games, are also weighing automatic gratuities during the tournament, according to local media. Scotland fans traveling to the city have reportedly been told to expect a mandatory 20 percent charge.

Nationally, tips at full-service restaurants averaged about 19 percent in 2025, according to Toast.

The World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, is expected to draw as many as 7 million international visitors across 11 U.S cities.

World Cup tipping plans draw mixed reaction online

Automatic gratuities have become the latest flashpoint for a World Cup that has already drawn criticism over sky-high ticket prices and transportation costs.

Some social media users criticized the idea as yet another example of American tipping culture going too far.

“Tipping has gotten out of hand. You should tip what you feel they deserve, not mandatory or suggested tipping,” one commenter wrote on Facebook.

Several users called on restaurants to take a page from other countries and eliminate tipping altogether in favor of paying employees higher wages.

Others said adding automatic gratuities for the event makes sense, as long as restaurants are transparent about it.

Meyers said there has been some pushback from locals, but emphasized that the policy will be temporary and clearly communicated to customers.

Not all restaurant associations are taking the same approach.

The New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association has not advised its members to add automatic gratuities during the tournament, but is focusing on educating them about cultural differences.

“We don’t want them to have the first game day show up, and they’re not prepared,” said Amanda Stone, vice president of public affairs at the NJRHA.

She said restaurants have been learning about food preferences and different payment habits, so international visitors aren’t caught off guard when servers walk away with their credit cards to settle up.

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