Tipping, and the rules nobody writes down.
Macao is not a tipping culture. Service charges are added where they apply, staff are paid without depending on gratuities, and nobody will chase you down the street. Visitors from North America routinely over-tip here — the fix is simply to read the bill.
What to leave, where
- RestaurantsNothing extra
Mid-range and upscale places add a 10% service charge to the bill. That is the tip. Rounding up the change is a friendly gesture and nothing more; leaving a further 10% on top marks you out as a tourist who did not read the bill.
- Local cafés & noodle shopsNothing
No service charge, no tip. Cash on the counter, take your change. Leaving money behind at a cha chaan teng will more often confuse than please.
- TaxisRound up
Round to the nearest note or leave the coins. Drivers do not expect a percentage, and there is no awkwardness in taking your full change.
- Hotel portersMOP 10–20 per bag
One of the few places a tip is genuinely conventional, particularly at the big Cotai resorts where the staff are used to international guests.
- HousekeepingMOP 20–50 per night, optional
Appreciated at resort hotels, not expected at smaller ones. Leave it visibly on the desk or pillow rather than lying around.
- Casino dealersAt your discretion
Tipping dealers is permitted and reasonably common when you are ahead — typically by placing a side bet for them rather than handing over chips. It is never obligatory.
- Spas & salonsCheck the bill first
Resort spas usually build service into the price. If they have, no more is needed.
- Tour guides & driversMOP 50–100 per day
For a private guide over a full day this is normal and welcome. For a large group coach tour it is entirely optional.
Everything else
Two hands
Business cards, gifts, and payment in more formal settings are offered and received with both hands. It is a small courtesy that registers immediately.
Let the host order
At a Chinese table, dishes are shared and the host orders for everyone. Serving others before yourself — especially tea — is the ordinary politeness.
Tea-tapping
When someone refills your tea, tap two fingers on the table beside the cup. It is a silent thank-you, and using it correctly in a Macao teahouse will be noticed.
Queues are real
For egg tarts, for buses, for the ferry. Macao queues properly and pushing in is read as rudeness rather than initiative.
Photograph people, not through them
The old lanes off Senado Square are somebody’s street, not a set. Ask before photographing shopkeepers and their stalls; almost everyone says yes.
Temples
A-Ma and the smaller neighbourhood temples are working places of worship. Step over the raised threshold rather than on it, keep your voice down, and do not photograph people mid-prayer.
Casinos have rules
Photography on the gaming floor is prohibited almost everywhere, and enforced. Under-21s cannot enter the gaming areas at all, even to walk through.
Check whether service is already on the bill. If it is, you are done. If it is not, round up. Save the real tips for porters and private guides.