As millions of soccer fans converge on the New York-New Jersey area for the 2026 World Cup, local restaurants and bars are grappling with an unexpected challenge: many international visitors appear unfamiliar with the United States’ tipping customs. This has prompted several establishments across the country to implement automatic gratuities to ensure service staff receive adequate compensation during the influx of global tourists.

An estimated 1.2 million soccer supporters are expected to attend matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributing to packed seating at nearby bars and restaurants from early morning through late-night celebrations. Despite busy venues and rising sales, servers and bartenders report that tip amounts have often fallen below typical expectations.

In cities including Kansas City, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, some restaurants have responded by adding automatic gratuities of 20% to customer bills for the duration of the tournament. Industry observers and restaurant managers say these measures aim to protect employees who rely heavily on tips and to prevent confusion among visitors unfamiliar with the American practice of tipping.

Louise Daggett, a waitress at McCarthy’s Pub in Manhattan, described the situation as less about discourtesy and more about unfamiliarity. “A lot of people haven’t been leaving tips,” she said, noting instances where guests ran tabs approaching $700 without tipping. “They do ask. They say, ‘Oh, how do I do this?’ I explain to them that tipping is big here in the city, and it’s a nice habit to do.”

Many international visitors come from countries where tipping is either minimal or included in the price of service, leading to different expectations. Anne Calimano, co-owner of Hurley’s Saloon in New York, observed that patrons often respond affirmatively when asked about service but may not realize additional tips are customary in the U.S. “In Europe, the tip was already included in the price, and they think that,” she said.

Despite the tipping gap, some servers view the situation with understanding. Bartender Cathal Reynolds of Garvey’s Irish Pub on West 48th Street reasoned that visitors have already invested significantly to attend the World Cup in the United States. “They’ve already spent a lot of money to be here in the first place,” he said. “The tipping, I’m not too fussed about it.”

As the tournament continues, the evolving dynamics between soccer fans and service staff underscore the cultural differences in hospitality customs and the challenges hosts face in accommodating a globally diverse audience.