Skip to content

Tipping in Argentina

Tipping commonARS ($)Tips: cash only

Here's the tip.

Ten percent, in cash, is the whole rule.

Tipping in Argentina is common but restrained. Ten percent in restaurants is the figure everyone knows, and almost everything else is rounding up. The complication is not the amount, it is the cash: tips rarely go on a card, so you need notes.

At a glance

Card tipping. Cards are widely accepted in cities, but a tip usually cannot be added to the card payment. Keep cash for the propina even when you pay the bill by card.

  • Amounts here are given as ranges and gestures rather than peso figures on purpose. Argentine inflation dates a printed number within months, and a stale figure is worse than none.
  • The cubierto on your bill is a cover charge for bread and table service. It is not a tip and does not replace one.
  • Many places give a discount for paying cash in pesos. Rough Guides notes this, and it is another reason to carry notes.

Tip calculator

10%
—

ARGENTINA

The tipping cheat sheet

  • Restaurants10%
  • CafésRound up
  • BarsRound up, or 10%
  • TaxisRound up
  • Hotel portersA small note per bag
  • HousekeepingA small note per day

WhatTheTipwhatthetip.com/argentina

Share on WhatsApp

Save as an imageWorks offline once it’s on your phone

Common questions

Do you tip in Argentina?
Ten percent, in cash, is the whole rule. Tipping in Argentina is common but restrained. Ten percent in restaurants is the figure everyone knows, and almost everything else is rounding up. The complication is not the amount, it is the cash: tips rarely go on a card, so you need notes.
How much do you tip at a restaurant in Argentina?
10%. 10% in cash, if service isn't already on the bill. Rough Guides gives 10% as the standard when service is not included, and that is the figure Argentines use. Lonely Planet puts South America at 15 to 20%, which is generous by local standards rather than expected. Leave it in cash on the table, because the card machine usually will not take it. The cubierto is a separate cover charge and is not the tip.
Can you tip by card in Argentina?
Cards are widely accepted in cities, but a tip usually cannot be added to the card payment. Keep cash for the propina even when you pay the bill by card.

Reviewed by Greg Kockott on 5 September 2026.

Figures checked against the sources below on 5 September 2026.

Sources