Money, cards and ATMs in United States

Sales tax is added at the till

The shelf price excludes sales tax everywhere except a handful of states. This is the first thing that catches every visitor.

• Rates run from zero to over 10 percent depending on the state, the county and sometimes the city.
• Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no sales tax at all. Alaska has no state tax but some local ones.
• Restaurant and hotel taxes are usually higher than the general rate, and cities add their own accommodation levies on top.
• The number on the menu is not the number on the bill. Assume roughly 10 percent tax, then tip on the pre-tax amount.

Tipping, as it stands in 2026

• 15 percent is now the floor for adequate service, not the standard. The norm moved and visitors working from old advice tip badly without meaning to.
• Check for an automatic service charge before adding a tip. Many higher-end restaurants in New York, San Francisco and Chicago now add around 20 percent automatically, and in that case you add nothing.
• A service charge is not always the same as a tip. It sometimes goes to the venue rather than the server. Ask if it matters to you.
• Tipping is how service staff are paid, not a bonus. In many states the tipped minimum wage is a fraction of the ordinary one.
• Card terminals now prompt for tips almost everywhere, including places nobody used to tip. Selecting "no tip" at a counter is completely normal.

Cards and cash

• Cards work everywhere and contactless is universal. Amex is accepted less widely than Visa and Mastercard.
• Carry USD 40 to USD 60 in small notes for tips, street food, laundromats and the occasional cash-only bar.
• Always choose to be charged in US dollars at a terminal. Dynamic currency conversion is a poor rate.
• Bank ATMs charge USD 3 to USD 5; standalone ATMs in bars and shops charge far more and often use a bad rate too.
• Tell your bank you are travelling. US merchants trigger fraud blocks on foreign cards more than most.