# Do you tip in Romania, how much is expected, and what is bacsis?

> Tipping in Romania is 10% at restaurants and rounding up at cafés. What bacsis means, how to leave it, and why card terminals rarely have a tip line.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/tipping-in-romania-restaurants-bacsis-guide
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-04-04

Romania tips at roughly the Central European rate — around ten percent for table service, small change for coffee — with one practical wrinkle: card terminals mostly have no tip line, so a gratuity almost always means cash. The word to know is *bacșiș*, which is what a tip is called.

## Quick answer

**Restaurants:** 10% for good table service.

**Cafés and bars:** leave the small change or round up.

**Taxis:** round up to the nearest leu.

**Tour guides and drivers:** 10% for a day's guiding is generous but appropriate.

**Cash matters** — most card machines cannot add a tip.

## Bacsis, and how to leave it

**Bacșiș** is the word for a tip. You can say it when paying, or simply hand over the cash and say the total you intend to pay.

Like much of Central Europe, the cleanest method is to state the total rather than leave coins. In Romania both work: a tip left on the table is common and understood.

Because card machines rarely offer a tip field, cash is the practical way. Carry small notes if you plan to eat out.

Some restaurants add a service charge for larger groups. If it is there, 10% on top is not needed.

## Where the norms differ

In Bucharest and the bigger cities, 10% is well established and expected in restaurants with table service.

In smaller towns and villages, rounding up is more common and a full 10% can feel generous.

Cafés operate on the rounding convention: a coffee costs a round-ish number and you leave the change.

## Practical notes

**Cash is still normal** in Romania, more than in Western Europe, and it is the easiest way to tip.

**No tip at supermarkets, shops or for counter service.**

Cards are increasingly accepted, but tipping remains a cash habit because of the terminal limitation.

Our [Romania guides](https://clevertourists.com/guides/central-europe) sit within the Central Europe coverage.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much do you tip in Romania?

About 10% at restaurants with table service, and small change or rounding up at cafés and bars.

### What does bacsis mean?

It is the Romanian word for a tip or gratuity.

### Can you add a tip on a card in Romania?

Usually not. Most card terminals have no tip line, so tipping is normally done in cash.

### Should you tip taxi drivers in Romania?

Rounding up to the nearest leu is normal and sufficient.