To tip or not to tip?

Small change? A restaurant tip. Photograph David Sillitoe

It's often a tough call, since etiquette varies from country to country, writes Susan Smillie. While in Japan it's considered rude to leave a tip, in the States, if you don't get it right (in other words, if you don't leave enough), you risk being named and shamed on websites such as the bitterwaitress. And in the UK, according to this year's Which? Good Food Guide, the decision is becoming increasingly pressured. It says the new chip and pin payment system is giving people less time to calculate how much to leave, because it means a staff member is hovering with the machine by the table (12.5% of £46.50, anyone?).