In short: Tipping in Guatemala is voluntary. DIACO, the government consumer-protection agency, says no law regulates or requires tips, a business cannot force one or demand a percentage, and you can reject a tip added to your bill, especially if you weren’t told beforehand. In restaurants it is common for the bill to suggest 10% (“propina sugerida”); you may leave 1%, 5%, 10% or more. A tip that goes on the invoice becomes part of the amount taxed with IVA. Prensa Libre reported that the suggested 10% is often pooled among all the staff, and a waiter it interviewed said an extra amount is how you reach your own server. Complaints: DIACO 1544. For tour guides, drivers and housekeeping there is no official guideline, and we don’t invent one.
This page answers what a visitor can and cannot be charged, and what the numbers you’ll see on a Guatemalan bill mean. It is based on DIACO’s statements as reported by Prensa Libre (2015, 2017 and 2025) and the tour terms of one operator; we did not find a DIACO publication of its own on tipping.
The rule: voluntary, and you can say no
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a law requiring tips? | No. DIACO: no current legislation regulates mandatory tipping | Prensa Libre, 31 May 2025 |
| Can a business force a tip? | No. Prensa Libre (2025) writes that no establishment can oblige the customer to pay an extra percentage as a tip; in 2017 a DIACO spokesperson said the business “no debe forzar el cobro de la propina” | Prensa Libre, 31 May 2025; 3 January 2017 (DIACO) |
| The tip was added automatically. Do I have to pay it? | No. You can reject the charge if you weren’t informed beforehand or simply don’t want to give it | Prensa Libre, 31 May 2025 (DIACO) |
| Can they demand 10%? | No. The business cannot demand a specific percentage; you choose 1%, 5%, 10% or more | Prensa Libre, 31 May 2025 (DIACO) |
| Can I have it taken off the invoice? | Yes. “tiene derecho a anularla de su factura”, said DIACO’s then-director | Prensa Libre, 11 January 2015 |
| Must they tell me about extra charges? | DIACO’s then-director cited the consumer’s right to clear and truthful information in Art. 4 of the Ley de Protección al Consumidor (Decreto 06-2003) | Prensa Libre, 11 January 2015 |
What you’ll see on the bill
- “Propina sugerida” (suggested tip) of 10%. Prensa Libre reported in 2017 that the bill often already includes a suggested 10%, and that some restaurants also suggest an extra amount if you liked the service. In 2025 it described a suggested 10% at bill time as common in restaurants, with some card slips carrying a space to choose the percentage.
- The tip on the invoice. If the tip is included in the invoice (factura), it becomes part of the amount on which IVA is calculated and must be recorded with the SAT, according to the 2025 article. You have the right to ask for the tip to be included in the invoice.
- Menus and quotes. The SAT said in 2017 that it had issued an institutional criterion telling businesses that provide food, lodging or events to include any service or tip surcharge in their proposals, quotes and menus.
- Always ask for the factura. The 2025 article’s example: a take-away customer received a purchase order with a 10% tip charge instead of an invoice, found in the SAT’s online agency that no invoice had been issued, and complained to DIACO.
Where the restaurant tip goes
Prensa Libre (3 January 2017) reported that the suggested 10% often goes into a common fund shared among the restaurant’s staff, from the host to the dishwasher. A waiter interviewed said that if you want the person who served you to receive the tip, you have to give an additional amount. The vice-president of the Gremial de Restaurantes de Guatemala described the tip as running from 10% upward and said it should recognise whoever provided the service. The SAT said it does not decide the percentage or how tips are shared, and that an additional amount should go directly to the employee.
Guides, drivers, hotels: what exists
We looked for an official or industry guideline on tips for tour guides, shuttle and private drivers, taxi and ride-hail drivers, and hotel housekeeping, and found none to cite (25 September 2026). DIACO’s position that tips are voluntary is general, not limited to restaurants. What we can document:
- Tour prices can exclude tips. Turansa’s Ceibal tours from Flores list Propinas (tips) among the items not included, alongside drinks and taxes. Check your operator’s no incluye (not included) list.
- Everywhere else the amount is your call. No source we found publishes per-service amounts for guides, drivers or housekeeping, so this page gives none.
If a business insists
- Ask for the invoice (factura) and check the tip line.
- Say you don’t agree with the tip and ask for it to be removed; DIACO says you have that right.
- If they refuse, complain to DIACO: call centre 1544, the complaints centre at 6a avenida 0-35, zona 4 (C.C. Plaza Zona 4, third floor, restaurant area) or any DIACO departmental or municipal office. Bring a photocopy of the invoice and of the invoice holder’s DPI (Prensa Libre, May 2025). A visitor without a DPI should ask DIACO what ID it accepts; the article does not say.
Related
Sources
- Prensa Libre — “¿Es obligatorio pagar propina en Guatemala? Esto dice la ley” (31 May 2025; DIACO’s position, IVA, complaint procedure): https://www.prensalibre.com/economia/es-legal-que-le-cobren-la-propina-en-la-factura-en-guatemala-esto-dice-la-ley/ — read 2026-09-25.
- Prensa Libre — “¿Quién se queda con la propina, el mesero o el gerente? Polémica por la distribución” (3 January 2017; pooling, Gremial de Restaurantes, SAT, DIACO spokesperson): https://www.prensalibre.com/economia/polemica-por-distribucion-de-propina/ — read 2026-09-25.
- Prensa Libre — “Cobro adicional en la cuenta” (11 January 2015; DIACO director Silvia Escobar, Decreto 6-2003 Art. 4): https://www.prensalibre.com/revista-d/propina-diaco-0-1280272233/ — read 2026-09-25.
- Turansa — Ceibal archaeological tours (“No incluye” list): https://www.turansa.com/castellano/paginas/tours/arqeologicosceibal.htm — read 2026-09-24.
Information current as of 25 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you tip in Guatemala?
Tipping is voluntary. Guatemala’s consumer-protection agency, DIACO, told Prensa Libre (31 May 2025) that tipping is completely voluntary and that no current legislation regulates or requires it. In restaurants it is common for the bill to suggest a 10% tip, and some card slips have a space to choose the percentage. You can pay it, change it or refuse it.
Is the 10% on my restaurant bill in Guatemala mandatory?
No. DIACO says that even when a business adds the tip to the bill automatically, the customer has the right to reject that charge if they were not told about it beforehand or simply do not want to pay it, and that the business cannot demand a specific percentage. A former DIACO director told Prensa Libre in 2015 that a customer who disagrees can have the tip removed from the invoice.
How much should I tip in Guatemala?
For restaurants, the practice reported by Prensa Libre and the restaurant guild is a suggested 10% on the bill; the guild’s vice-president described the tip as running from 10% upward. DIACO says you may choose any amount, whether 1%, 5%, 10% or more. For tour guides, drivers and hotel housekeeping we found no official guideline or industry norm to cite, so we don’t give one. One tour operator we checked, Turansa, lists tips among the things not included in its tour prices.
Who gets the tip in a Guatemalan restaurant?
It depends on the restaurant. Prensa Libre reported in 2017 that in many restaurants the suggested 10% goes into a common pool shared among the staff, and a waiter interviewed said that if you want the waiter who served you to get something, you have to leave an additional amount. The SAT (tax agency) said then that it does not decide how tips are split.
Where do I complain if a restaurant forces the tip?
DIACO, under the Ley de Protección al Consumidor y Usuario (Decreto 06-2003). Prensa Libre (May 2025) lists the requirements as a photocopy of the invoice and of the invoice holder’s DPI, and the channels as DIACO’s call centre 1544, its complaints centre at 6a avenida 0-35, zona 4 (C.C. Plaza Zona 4, third floor) or any DIACO departmental or municipal office.
