The propina in Spain - Learn Spanish

You’re in a café in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville… it’s time to leave, you ask for the bill, and the moment you’ve been dreading arrives… How much should you leave as a tip?

You’re not the only one this happens to. Many tourists and students who come to our country don’t know how much money they should leave to thank a Spanish waiter for good service.

But let’s take it step by step: in Spain, tipping is not mandatory. That doesn’t mean, as some people think, that Spaniards consider it an insult to receive one. If you want to leave a tip, great—but if you don’t, that’s fine too.

Now, let’s talk about the amount. Don’t rack your brain doing complicated percentage calculations. Most Spaniards estimate the tip “by eye,” meaning we leave whatever feels appropriate based on the total price. For example: if your meal costs €20, you can easily leave 60 cents; and if it’s over €60—and you feel the service deserves it—you might leave €2.

The reason tipping isn’t strictly required is that some restaurants include a “table service” charge, which in practice means an extra €2.50 added to the bill. There’s no need to worry, since this charge is usually listed on the receipt. Even so, if the service has been especially good, you can still leave a tip.

Sometimes people opt for “rounding up”; that is, asking to be charged an amount that makes it easier for a taxi driver or pizza delivery person to give change—or so that they don’t have to give any at all. For example: if your taxi ride costs €10.60, you can tell the driver to charge €11, or simply hand over a €10 note and a €1 coin and say the classic “keep the change.”

As you can see, tipping in Spain isn’t difficult at all. It’s mostly about following your instincts. Now you can enjoy your coffee without worrying about what will happen when “the painful one” arrives (a colloquial way to refer to the bill—but we’ll talk about that another time).