No Tipping in Korea 2026: Prices & Banchan Refills

TL;DR — 3 things to know before your first meal

Korea has no tipping custom. Restaurants, cafes, taxis and delivery all work on "pay the amount shown". Leaving extra cash on the table usually just confuses staff, who will assume you forgot your change.
By law, the menu price is the final price. Since January 2013, restaurants and cafes must show prices that already include 10% VAT and any service charge (봉사료). Since September 2026, charging more than the posted price can mean a 5-day business suspension on the first offence.
Banchan (side dishes) are free, and refills usually are too. Press the call button or say "더 주세요" (deo juseyo). Some restaurants now charge for extra side dishes or use a self-serve bar — if so, there is normally a sign.

⚠️ Don't leave cash on the table

Money left behind after paying is usually read as forgotten change, not a tip.

Staff may come after you to return it. It is rarely taken as rude, just a little awkward for everyone. Pay what is on the receipt and take your change — that is the norm, not a missed chance to be generous.

Why Doesn't Korea Have a Tipping Culture?

It's not an oversight — it's a different way of pricing service.

In tipping countries, part of a server's income is expected to come from customers on top of the menu price. Korea doesn't work that way. Staff wages do not depend on tips, and the price on the menu is legally required to be the full amount you pay, tax and any service charge included (details in the next section). Good service is treated as part of what you already paid for.

There is also a cultural side. For many Koreans, handing over extra money can feel awkward rather than generous. For visitors, the takeaway is simple: you never need to work out 15% or 20% of anything in Korea.

Is tipping creeping in? (2023–2026)

Every so often it looks that way, and the reaction is always the same. In July 2023 Kakao T added an optional "thank-you tip" for some taxi types, and a few cafes put out tip boxes; consumer groups and many users pushed back. In July 2025 a tip box at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul set off another round of online criticism. A 2023 YTN fact-check, citing the health ministry's price rules, concluded that a purely voluntary tip is not illegal — but making customers pay anything beyond the posted final price can breach the Food Sanitation Act. For visitors: tip requests are rare exceptions, and anything called a tip is optional.

Want to say thanks instead of tipping? A sincere "맛있게 먹었습니다" (masitge meogeotseumnida — "I enjoyed the meal") to staff on your way out is warmly received and costs nothing.

How Restaurant Pricing Actually Works

What's on the menu is what you pay — the law requires it.

Feature	Most Restaurants & Cafes	Hotel & Upscale Restaurants
Menu price includes 10% VAT?	Yes — required	Yes — required
Service charge (봉사료)?	Usually none	Some charge one, but it must already be inside the menu price
Extra added at payment?	Not allowed — must match the posted price	Not allowed — must match the posted price
Tip line on card payment?	Normally none	Normally none
Where you pay	Often at the counter on your way out	Usually at the table

Many casual Korean restaurants use counter payment: you eat, then pay at the register on your way out. Don't wait for a bill to arrive — if no one brings one, settle up at the counter. Larger restaurants (150 m² or more) must also post a price list outside, so you can check prices before you walk in.

Prices themselves vary, but the menu number is the number you pay. As a reference, the Korea Consumer Agency's price service (참가격) put Seoul's average restaurant price for samgyeopsal at ₩21,321 per 200 g in June 2026 — see the Korean BBQ guide.

If your receipt shows a 봉사료 (service charge) line: some hotels and upscale restaurants break the total into food, VAT and service charge on the receipt. That is fine as long as the total matches the menu price. If the total is higher than the posted price, ask staff to explain — that is exactly what the price-display rules prohibit.

Banchan — Free Side Dishes, Free Refills

The small dishes that show up without you ordering them are not a hidden fee.

Banchan (반찬) are the small shared side dishes — kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, pickled radish and many regional variations — that arrive automatically with most Korean meals. They are not itemized on the bill; they come with your main dish.

✓ Refills are usually free

This is standard Korean dining, not a favour for regulars. Press the call button on the table, or point at the empty dish and say "이거 더 주세요" (igeo deo juseyo — "more of this, please").

✓ You don't need to finish every banchan to ask for more

If you liked one side dish, it is normal to ask for a refill of just that one while others remain untouched.

NOTE Paid refills and self-serve bars are becoming more common

With food costs rising, some restaurants now charge for extra side dishes or ask you to help yourself at a self-serve bar (셀프바). This was widely debated in early 2026: in an Embrain survey of 1,000 people aged 16–69 (February 2026), 64.8% opposed paid refills. If there is a sign or a price on the menu, follow it; otherwise refills are normally free.

First time seeing banchan? They often arrive before your main dish. They're meant to be eaten throughout the meal alongside it, not finished as a starter.

Tipping Outside Restaurants — Taxis, Delivery, Hotels & Guides

The same "no tipping" rule applies almost everywhere — and anything labelled a tip is optional.

Service	Tip Expected?	Notes
Taxi drivers	No	Pay the metered or app fare. Kakao T introduced an optional "thank-you tip" (₩1,000, ₩1,500 or ₩2,000) for some taxi types in 2023, shown after a 5-star rating. If you see it, skipping it is completely fine.
Delivery (Baemin, Coupang Eats)	No	In Baemin, the line called "배달팁" (delivery tip) is the delivery fee set by the restaurant — not a gratuity. Nothing else is expected at the door.
Cafes & bars	No	Same as restaurants. An occasional tip box is optional.
Hotels & guesthouses	No	Not part of local custom. A word of thanks is enough.
Private tours (booked via international platforms)	Not expected — check your booking	Some booking platforms offer their own tip option for guides. Korean custom does not require it; never feel obliged.

Common Mistakes Foreign Diners Make

Easy habits to unlearn for the length of your trip.

Avoid These

SKIP Adding a percentage at payment

There is no tip to calculate. If a card terminal or receipt shows more than the menu total, ask about it before you pay.

SKIP Leaving coins or small bills on the table

Staff will usually assume you forgot it. Take your change.

SKIP Waiting at the table for a bill that never comes

Many casual restaurants use counter payment — you settle up on your way out. If no bill appears, just head to the register.

SKIP Assuming banchan refills cost extra

Refills are usually free. Just check for a sign about paid extras or a self-serve bar.

SKIP Insisting on tipping after staff decline

If someone politely waves off cash you offer, that is a clear "no". Accept it and move on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you tip at restaurants in Korea? ▾

No. Tipping is not part of Korean dining, from street stalls to fine dining. Menu prices must already include VAT and any service charge, so the menu price is what you pay. Money left on the table is usually taken as forgotten change.

Is a service charge already included in menu prices? ▾

Yes. Since January 2013, Korean restaurants and cafes have had to display the final price including VAT and any service charge (봉사료), and must not charge more than the posted price. Some hotels and upscale restaurants do collect a service charge, but it should already be inside the menu price; the receipt may simply show it as a breakdown.

What is banchan, and are refills really free? ▾

Banchan are the small side dishes, such as kimchi and pickled radish, that come with most Korean meals at no extra charge. Most restaurants refill them for free: press the call button or say "이거 더 주세요" (igeo deo juseyo). Some restaurants have started charging for extra side dishes or use a self-serve bar; if so, there is normally a sign or a menu price.

Do taxi drivers or delivery riders expect a tip? ▾

No. Pay the metered or app fare. Kakao T introduced an optional "thank-you tip" in 2023 that may appear after a 5-star rating; it is voluntary. In Baemin, the "배달팁" (delivery tip) line is the delivery fee, not a gratuity.

Should I tip hotel staff or private tour guides? ▾

It is not expected. Tipping is not part of Korean hotel custom. Some international tour booking platforms offer their own tip option for guides, so check your booking, and never feel obliged.

Why don't Koreans have a tipping culture? ▾

Staff wages do not depend on tips, and the posted price is legally the full price. Many Koreans see good service as part of what they already paid, which is why tip boxes and app tip buttons drew strong public criticism in 2023 and 2025.

What if a restaurant has a tip box or asks for a tip? ▾

A tip box is optional, and you do not have to use it. Under Korea's price-display rules a business cannot make you pay more than its posted final price, and since September 2026 doing so can mean a 5-day business suspension on the first offence. If you are charged more than the menu total, ask staff to explain.

Sources (checked October 2026)

Easylaw (Ministry of Government Legislation), "Restaurant price display": final price including VAT; outdoor price list for 150 m²+ restaurants — checked 2026-10-25
Korea.kr policy briefing (2012-07-11): menus to show the final price including VAT and service charge from 2013-01-01
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Food Sanitation Act enforcement rule amendment (2026-09-01): no price list or charging above the posted price → 5-day suspension on first offence; reported by Money Today, Food Today, Dailian (2026-09-01–02)
YTN radio fact-check, "Is giving or receiving tips illegal in Korea?" (2023-09-08)
Kakao Mobility newsroom (2023-07-31) and Chosun Ilbo (2023-07-25): Kakao T "thank-you tip" — ₩1,000/1,500/2,000 after a 5-star rating
Baemin partner centre (ceo.baemin.com), "Setting the delivery tip": 배달팁 = delivery fee set by the restaurant — checked 2026-10-25
Nocut News (2025-07-28), JoongAng Ilbo (2025-07-28): backlash over a tip box at a Yeouido restaurant
Nongmin Shinmun (2026-03-25): Embrain survey on banchan refills, 1,000 people aged 16–69, Feb 24–27, 2026 — 64.8% oppose paid refills
Segye Ilbo (2026-08-01): Korea Consumer Agency 참가격, Seoul samgyeopsal ₩21,321 per 200 g (June 2026)

Bottom line: relax and pay exactly what's on the receipt. No mental math, no envelopes, no awkward exchanges — just good food and, if you're grateful, a sincere word of thanks on your way out. For more everyday etiquette and money tips like this, keep exploring the Must-Know Tips hub on innerkorea.com.