As the FIFA World Cup approaches, restaurants in several U.S. host cities are preparing to impose automatic 20 percent gratuities on customers, aiming to shield tipped workers from the financial uncertainty posed by international visitors who may not be familiar with American tipping customs.
The Missouri Restaurant Association has advised its roughly 800 members in the Kansas City metro area to add a mandatory 20 percent charge during the 40-day tournament, which is expected to draw an estimated 650,000 visitors to the city for six matches. The association's director of marketing and communications, Trey Meyers, said the policy is a recommendation, but most member restaurants are planning to adopt it. “We just want to make sure that the servers and bartenders — anyone who collects a tip — actually collects a tip,” Meyers said. He added that restaurateurs are considering gratuities ranging from 18 percent to 22 percent.
The move reflects a broader concern that international visitors, accustomed to countries where tipping is not standard or where service charges are included, might inadvertently shortchange workers who rely on tips to supplement a lower base minimum wage. In Missouri and many other states, tipped employees earn a subminimum wage, making gratuities essential to their income.
Boston, which is set to host seven World Cup games, is also weighing similar automatic gratuities. Local media reports indicate that Scotland fans traveling to the city have been warned to expect a mandatory 20 percent charge at restaurants. Nationwide, tips at full-service establishments averaged about 19 percent in 2025, according to data from Toast.
The World Cup, running from June 11 to July 19, is expected to bring as many as 7 million international visitors across 11 U.S. cities. The automatic gratuity plan has become a new flashpoint in a tournament already criticized for steep ticket prices and transportation costs. Social media reactions have been mixed, with some decrying the mandatory charge as an extension of what they see as excessive American tipping culture. One commenter on Facebook wrote, “Tipping has gotten out of hand. You should tip what you feel they deserve, not mandatory or suggested tipping.” Others have called for restaurants to eliminate tipping entirely and pay workers higher wages instead.
Meyers acknowledged some local pushback but stressed that the policy would be temporary and clearly communicated to customers. “We don’t want them to have the first game day show up, and they’re not prepared,” he said.
Not all restaurant associations are taking the same approach. The New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association has not advised automatic gratuities but is instead focusing on educating members about cultural differences, including food preferences and payment habits, to avoid surprising international visitors when servers take their credit cards to process payments.
The debate over automatic tips adds to the political and logistical challenges surrounding the tournament. Meanwhile, Amnesty and the ACLU have warned World Cup travelers about U.S. deportation risks, and NJ Transit has defended a $150 World Cup train fare amid political backlash over FIFA costs.
