A tip is the optional amount a guest leaves to reward the service received, on top of the bill. Unlike the coperto — a fixed, due charge — a tip is discretionary: the guest decides whether to leave one and how much.
In Italy tipping carries very different cultural weight from countries like the US, where the tip (often 15-20%) is effectively part of staff pay. Here it’s a modest, non-systematic gesture, and an automatic service charge (a percentage added to the bill) is rare.
What’s changing in 2026
The topic is back on two fronts. First, a favourable tax treatment for tips introduced for the sector, which changed how they’re taxed. Second, the spread of digital payments and pay-at-table: pay-at-table systems can prompt for a tip at checkout, a new practice for Italians that must be handled with discretion so as not to annoy.
Here’s the difference between coperto and tip and the favourable tax treatment of tips.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between a tip and the coperto?
- The coperto is a fixed, due charge listed on the menu for the table setting; a tip is optional and discretionary, decided by the guest to reward service. They're two distinct things.
- Is tipping mandatory in Italy?
- No, it's always optional. Italy has no obligation or custom of a fixed percentage like the US; it remains a free gesture by the guest.