Short answer: create a tip page in an app such as TipIns, print the QR code and put it on a lanyard card you turn round at the last stop. Customers scan it with their phone camera and tip by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. They do not need an app or an account.
Your customers are visitors. They carry a foreign card and no local coins, and your office is a pavement. Payment apps do not cross borders: a guest from Germany cannot Venmo you. The group scatters within sixty seconds of "that is the end of the tour".
How a QR code tip jar works
You create a tip page once and get a personal QR code and link. A customer points their phone camera at the code, a secure payment page opens in their browser, and they pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. The tip shows in your balance straight away and is paid out to your bank account.
Where tour guides put the code
- On a lanyard card you turn round at the last stop.
- On the back of your sign, umbrella or paddle.
- On your phone screen, held up for the group.
- In the follow-up message with your restaurant recommendations.
Size the code for the distance: a phone reads one from about ten times its width. The measurements are in how to make a tip jar QR code sign.
What to write on the sign
Enjoyed the tour? Tip [your name]. Any card, any country. Scan here.
Put your own name where the brackets are. You can export a print-ready design from the app in business card, A5, A4 or A3 size.
How to mention it
At the second-to-last stop, not the last: "This tour runs on tips. If you are not carrying cash, I have a code that takes any card."
Your own code or a shared one
A personal code. If you work with a driver, a two-person group splits each tip at the percentages you agree.
What customers usually tip a tour guide
For a paid tour, 10 to 20% of the tour price is customary. For a "free" walking tour, $10 to $20 per person is fair, since tips are the guide's entire pay.
| Situation | Usual tip |
|---|---|
| Free walking tour, two hours | $10 to $20 per person |
| $60 half-day group tour | $6 to $12 per person |
| Private full-day guide | 10 to 20% of the price |
| Coach driver on a day tour | $2 to $5 per person, separately |
Customers looking for the etiquette can read how to tip a tour guide without cash.
What it costs
TipIns is free to download and has no monthly fee. Each tip carries a 10% platform fee plus a small card processing fee, and by default the person tipping covers both, so you receive the amount they chose. Weekly payouts to your bank are free. The details are in the FAQ.
Common questions
Where should a tour guide put a tip QR code?
On a lanyard card you turn round at the last stop. On the back of your sign, umbrella or paddle.
What should a tour guide's tip sign say?
Try: "Enjoyed the tour? Tip [your name]. Any card, any country. Scan here." Give a reason, show a large code and include your name.
Should I use a personal code or a team code?
A personal code. If you work with a driver, a two-person group splits each tip at the percentages you agree.