Cafés · France
Do you tip at cafés in France?
Short answer
Leave the coins
Leave the small change from your saucer.
OptionalCash preferred
For a coffee or a glass of wine at a terrace table, leaving 20–50 cents is a normal habit and completely optional. Nobody counts.
Cash or card?
Card terminals in France almost never prompt for a tip. If you want to leave one, use cash.
Common questions
- Do you tip at cafés in France?
- Leave the small change from your saucer. For a coffee or a glass of wine at a terrace table, leaving 20–50 cents is a normal habit and completely optional. Nobody counts.
- How much should you tip in cafés in France?
- Leave the coins. Leave the small change from your saucer.
- Can you tip by card in France?
- Card terminals in France almost never prompt for a tip. If you want to leave one, use cash.
More on tipping in France
Tipping in cafés elsewhere
← Full tipping guide for France
Reviewed by Greg Kockott on 3 September 2026.
Compiled from widely reported guidance for France. Not yet source-checked.