Nail salon tipping, with the math done for you

Pedicure tips at real menu prices

Here are the numbers for each pedicure on our menu, worked out at 15 and 20 percent. Rounding up to the nearest dollar keeps things simple.

Add-ons count toward the total. An Organic Spa Pedicure with $15 gel polish comes to $80, which makes the customary tip $12 to $16.

Time is a fair thing to weigh. The Gold Enchantment runs about 85 minutes and includes a 30-minute massage, which is steady physical work, so 20 percent is a natural choice on the longer services.

• Classic Pedicure, $35: $5.25 to $7
• Deluxe Pedicure, $49: $7.35 to $9.80
• Organic Spa Pedicure, $65: $9.75 to $13
• Pearl Spa Pedicure, $75: $11.25 to $15
• Róse Berry Pedicure, $85: $12.75 to $17
• Jelly Spa Pedicure, $90: $13.50 to $18
• Emerald Escape Pedicure, $105: $15.75 to $21
• Gold Enchantment Pedicure, $120: $18 to $24

Tips for manicures

Manicure prices on the menu are starting prices, so work out the tip from your final total once removal, shape or design are added. At the starting price, the customary range looks like this.

For quick math at the counter, take 10 percent of the total, then double it for 20 percent. On a $45 Gel Manicure, 10 percent is $4.50, so 20 percent is $9. Adding half of that 10 percent gets you to 15 percent, or $6.75.

• Collagen Mani, from $39: $5.85 to $7.80
• Gel Manicure, from $45: $6.75 to $9
• Emerald Escape Manicure, from $55: $8.25 to $11
• Dip Manicure, from $65: $9.75 to $13
• Builder Gel Manicure, from $70: $10.50 to $14

Tips for full sets and fills

Enhancements ask a lot of the person doing them, with shaping and careful blending on all ten nails, so many people lean toward 20 percent here. Each figure below is a floor based on the starting price.

• Color Acrylic Fill, from $50: $7.50 to $10
• Color Acrylic Full Set, from $60: $9 to $12
• Dip Full Set, from $65: $9.75 to $13
• Builder Gel Full Set, from $70: $10.50 to $14
• Aprés Gel-X Full Set, from $75: $11.25 to $15

Tipping on nail art and small fixes

Base the tip on the whole bill, with the art included. A Color Acrylic Full Set from $60 with Design Nails from $15 comes to at least $75, so 15 to 20 percent is $11.25 to $15.

Hand-painted detail takes real concentration, and 25 percent is a generous thank-you when someone spends extra time recreating a tricky photo. On that same $75, 25 percent is $18.75. Small jobs work differently. A repair from $5 doesn't really call for a percentage, and a couple of dollars is a kind gesture. Waxing usually follows the regular percentage, so Eyebrows from $18 comes to about $2.70 to $3.60.

The etiquette around paying

Tip when you pay at the end of the service. Cash has long been the traditional way in nail salons, and you can ask at the counter how to add a tip if you would rather use a card.

When one person does your hands and another does your feet, tip each on their part of the bill. A coupon or discount generally shouldn't shrink the tip, so base it on the full price.

A tip is always your own decision, and customs vary from person to person, so treat these figures as a guide. If something about the result bothers you, speak up before you leave, while it can still be fixed.

Questions guests ask

Is 15 percent OK for a pedicure?

Yes. Fifteen percent sits within the customary range for a service you were happy with. Some people move toward 20 percent for a long spa pedicure or extra callus work.

Do you tip on the price before tax?

Either is fine. Figuring it on the service price and then rounding up is common, since the tax makes very little difference on a nail appointment.

Should I tip on a kids' pedicure?

The same customary range applies. A Princess Pedicure that starts at $28 works out to about $4.20 to $5.60, and rounding to $5 or $6 is an easy way to handle it.