question: why is tipping a thing in some countries but not others?
comment: Because in the US they wanted to not pay black workers after the civil war. So they started tipping. It is, and always has been, nothing more than an excuse to not pay people properly.
passages: Section::::By region.:Europe.:Slovenia.
  
  Tipping is not common in Slovenia, and most locals do not tip other than to round up to the nearest euro. Since about 2007, areas visited by many tourists have begun to accept tips of around 10–20%.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Spain.
   Section::::By region.:Asia.:Malaysia.
  
  In Malaysia tipping is not the norm and is not expected in any service. Instead restaurants can add a service charge of 10% to the bill. In Malaysia the people are familiar with tipping, so if a person does leave a tip then it is accepted and appreciated. When tipping occurs it is usually done by rounding up the bill.
  
  Section::::By region.:Asia.:South Korea.
   Tipping is not required but often expected, particularly in restaurants where roughly 5 to 10% is common. This belongs to the service one got and the restaurant level (low, medium, high prices). In standard restaurants it is OK to round up to the next Euro. By tipping roughly 5% one can't be wrong in bars or restaurants. Taxi bills might be just rounded up to the next Euro. Another common setting where tipping is customary is taxis.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Croatia.
   Section::::By region.:Europe.:Norway.
  
  The service charge is included in the bill. It is uncommon for Norwegians to tip taxi drivers or cleaning staff at hotels. In restaurants and bars it is more common, but not expected. Tips are often given to reward high quality service or as a kind gesture. Tipping is most often done by leaving small change (5–15%) at the table or rounding up the bill.
   In Taiwan, tipping is not customary, but all mid and high end restaurants include a mandatory "10% service charge", which is not given to the service staff, but rather considered by Taiwanese law as general revenue, as reported by the "Taipei Times" in "False Gratuity" on July 9, 2013.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Albania.
   Section::::By region.:Europe.:Denmark.
  
  Tips ("drikkepenge", lit. "drinking money") are not required in Denmark since service charges must always be included in the bill by law. Tipping for outstanding service is a matter of choice, but is not expected.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Finland.
  
  In Finland tipping is not customary and never expected.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:France.
   Tipping ("dricks") is commonly not expected, but is practiced to reward high quality service or as a kind gesture. Tipping is most often done by leaving small change on the table or rounding up the bill. This is mostly done at restaurants (less often if payment is made at the desk) and in taxis (some taxis are very expensive as there is no fixed tariff, so they might not be tipped). Less often hairdressers are tipped. Tips are taxed in Sweden, but cash tips are not often declared to the tax authority. Cards are heavily used in Sweden as of the 2010s, and tips paid by cards in restaurants are regularly checked by the tax authority.
   Section::::By region.:Europe.:Turkey.
  
  In Turkey, tipping, or "bahşiş" (lit. gift, from the Persian word بخشش, often rendered in English as "baksheesh") is usually optional and not customary in many places. Though not necessary, a tip of 5–10% is appreciated in restaurants, and is usually paid by "leaving the change". Cab drivers usually do not expect to be tipped, though passengers may round up the fare. A tip of small change may be given to a hotel porter.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:United Kingdom.
   Tipping is not expected or required in Australia. The minimum wage in Australia is reviewed yearly, and as of 2017 it was set at A$17.70 per hour (A$22.125 for casual employees) and this is fairly standard across all types of venues. Tipping at cafés and restaurants (especially for a large party), and tipping of taxi drivers and home food deliverers is again, not required or expected. However many people tend to round up the amount owed while indicating that they are happy to let the worker "keep the change".
   In Russian language a gratuity is called "chayeviye", which literally means "for the tea". Tipping small amounts of money in Russia for people such as waiters, cab drivers and hotel bellboys was quite common before the Communist Revolution of 1917. During the Soviet era, and especially with the Stalinist reforms of the 1930s, tipping was discouraged and was considered an offensive capitalist tradition aimed at belittling and lowering the status of the working class. So from then until the early 1990s tipping was seen as rude and offensive. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the dismantling of the Iron Curtain in 1991, and the subsequent influx of foreign tourists and businessmen into the country, tipping started a slow but steady comeback. Since the early 2000s tipping has become somewhat of a norm again. However, still a lot of confusion persists around tipping: Russians do not have a widespread consensus on how much to tip, for what services, where and how. In larger urban areas, like Moscow and St Petersburg, tips of 10% are expected in high-end restaurants, coffee shops, bars and hotels, and are normally left in cash on the table, after the bill is paid by credit card; or as part of cash payment if a credit card is not used. Tipping at a buffet or any other budget restaurant, where there are no servers to take your order at the table (called "stolovaya") is not expected and not appropriate. Fast food chains, such as McDonald's, Chaynaya Lozhka, Teremok and so on, do not allow tipping either. Tipping bartenders in a pub is not common, but it is expected in an up-market bar. Metered taxi drivers also count on a tip of 5–10%, but non-metered drivers who pre-negotiate the fare do not expect one. It should also be noted that the older Russians, who grew up and lived most of their lives during the Soviet era, still consider tipping an offensive practice and detest it. In smaller rural towns, tipping is rarely expected and may even cause confusion.
   Tipping ("bakshish") in Albania is very much expected almost everywhere. In recent times it has become more common, as many foreigners and Albanians living abroad visit Albania. Leaving a tip of around 10% of the bill is customary in restaurants; even porters, guides and chauffeurs expect tips. Duty-free alcohol is often used as a type of tip for porters, bellhops and the like, however some people (such as Muslims) can find it offensive.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Austria.
   Although it has been cited that tipping taxi drivers is typical, it is not common in practice.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Italy.
  
  Tips ("la mancia") are not customary in Italy, and are given only for a special service or as thanks for high quality service, but they are very uncommon. Almost all restaurants (with the notable exception of those in Rome) have a service charge (called "coperto" and/or "servizio"). As restaurants are required to inform you of any fees they charge, they usually list the "coperto"/"servizio" on the menu.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Netherlands.
   Section::::By region.:Europe.:Iceland.
  
  In Iceland tipping ("þjórfé", lit. "serving money") is not customary and never expected. Foreign tourists sometimes still tip without thinking because that is the custom in their home country. Tourist guides in Iceland also sometimes encourage their guests to tip them, but there is no requirement to do so.
  
  Section::::By region.:Europe.:Ireland.
  
  It is uncommon for Irish people to tip taxi-drivers or cleaning staff at hotel. Tips are often given to reward high quality service or as a kind gesture. Tipping is most often done by leaving small change (5–10%) at the table or rounding up the bill.
   Tipping is not a traditional practice in New Zealand, though has become less uncommon in recent years – especially in finer establishments. Tipping in New Zealand is likely the result of tourists visiting from tipping cultures (such as the United States of America) who may follow their own tipping customs. It is still extremely rare among locals, especially among the working and middle-class. It is expected that employers pay their staff fairly and the minimum wage is regularly raised with public pressure to ensure minimum wage employees have a reasonable standard of living with rising living costs and inflation. Where tipping does occur among New Zealanders it is usually to reward a level of service that is far in excess of the customer's expectations, or as an unsolicited reward for a voluntary act of service. A number of websites published by the New Zealand government advise tourists that "tipping in New Zealand is not obligatory – even in restaurants and bars. However, tipping for good service or kindness is at the discretion of the visitor". A Sunday Star-Times reader poll in 2011 indicated 90% of their readers did not want tipping for good service to become the norm in New Zealand.
   According to the National Restaurant Association, only a handful of restaurants in the United States have adopted a no-tipping model and some restaurants who have adopted this model returned to tipping due to loss of employees to competitors.
  
  Section::::By region.:North America and the Caribbean.:United States.:Service charges.
   Depending on the situation, tipping might be unusual, optional or expected. Almost all bills include a service charge; similarly, some employers calculate wages on the basis that the employee would also receive tips, while others prohibit accepting them. In some cases a tip is only given if the customer is satisfied; in others it is customary to give a certain percentage regardless of the quality of the service; and there are situations when it is hard to tell the difference from a bribe. Widespread tipping based on loosely defined customs and an almost imperceptible transition into bribery is considered a main factor contributing to corruption. A particular example of a gratuity is ("gratitude money") or , which is the very much expected – almost obligatory even though illegal – tipping of state-employed physicians. (Hungary's healthcare system is almost completely state-run and there is an obligatory social insurance system.)
   Section::::By region.:Europe.:Germany.
  
  Tipping ("Trinkgeld") is not seen as obligatory. In the case of waiting staff, and in the context of a debate about a minimum wage, some people disapprove of tipping and say that it should not substitute for employers paying a good basic wage. But most people in Germany consider tipping to be good manners as well as a way to express gratitude for good service.
   Tipping ("fooi") in the Netherlands is not obligatory; it is illegal, and rare, to charge a service fee without the customer's consent. However, tourists are made to believe that tipping is required in restaurants, bars, taxis and hotels (bar, restaurant, maids and bellboys). If service was normal or poor, it is normal not to tip, while guests who receive good to excellent service can tip in a 5–15% range, with an average of 10%, and 20% if service was exceptionally good. Around 1970, regulations were adopted that all indicated prices must include a service charge. As a result, all prices were raised by about 15%. This was called "service compris". Also wages were adjusted so that employees were not dependent on tips.
   Section::::Criticisms.:Travellers following home rather than local customs.
  
  Some nationalities, such as people from the United States, are used to paying tips, and often do so even when they visit countries where this is less of a norm. In contrast, tourists from such countries may neglect to pay tips when they visit countries such as the US where tips are expected.
  
  Section::::Criticisms.:Discrimination.
   Tips to taxi drivers are unusual in Mexico, but drivers used to ask for them from tourists, knowing that is common in other countries. Locally, taxi drivers are only tipped when they offer an extra service, like helping with the luggage or similar help.
   It is illegal, and rare, to charge a service fee without the customer's consent. But a tip of about 5% to 10%, depending on the type of service, is customary. For example, Germans usually tip their waiters but almost never the cashiers at big supermarkets. As a rule of thumb, the more personal the service, the more common it is to tip. Payments by card can include the tip too, but the tip is usually paid in cash when the card is handed over.
   Section::::By region.:North America and the Caribbean.:Caribbean.
  
  Tipping in the Caribbean varies from island to island. In the Dominican Republic, restaurants add a 10% gratuity and it is customary to tip an extra 10%. In St. Barths, it is expected that a tip be 10% to 15% if gratuity isn't already included.
  
  Section::::By region.:North America and the Caribbean.:Mexico.
   Tipping is not customary in Korean culture, and tipping is not expected in general service industry. Some people even regard tipping as an inappropriate behavior. High-end hotels and restaurants often include service charge between 10% to 15%, but it is always included in the bill and customers are not expected to leave separate gratuity for servers beyond what is included in the bill.
  
  Section::::By region.:Asia.:Singapore.
   Section::::By region.:South America.
  
  Section::::By region.:South America.:Bolivia.
  
  Service charges are included with the bill. A tip of around 5% or so is sometimes given, and is considered polite.
  
  Section::::By region.:South America.:Brazil.
  
  Most restaurants include a non-obligatory service charge on the bill, which under standard practice is 10% (so much so that "10%" is used in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for "tip"). There is no legal obligation to pay and it is not expected by the staff.
  
  Section::::By region.:South America.:Paraguay.
  
  Service charges are included with the bill and tipping is uncommon.
  
  Section::::By region.:Oceania.
  
  Section::::By region.:Oceania.:Australia.
   Bribery and corruption are sometimes disguised as tipping. In some developing countries, police officers, border guards, and other civil servants openly solicit tips, gifts and dubious fees using a variety of local euphemisms.
  
  Section::::Reasons for tipping.
  
  Tipping researcher Michael Lynn identifies five motivations for tipping:
  
  BULLET::::- Showing off
  
  BULLET::::- To supplement the server's income and make them happy
  
  BULLET::::- For improved future service
  
  BULLET::::- Avoid disapproval from the server
  
  BULLET::::- A sense of duty
  
  In countries such as Australia and Japan where no tipping is provided, the service is found to be as good as in America.
  