Othman's
15 to 20 percent is the customary range in Canadian barbershops — about $5 to $7 on a $35 haircut, $9 to $12 on a $62 cut and shave. It is customary rather than compulsory, and nobody is keeping score.
Tipping at a barbershop makes people more uncomfortable than it should, mostly because nobody says the number out loud. Here it is, plainly, along with the cases where the usual number is the wrong one.
The short answer
15 to 20 percent is the customary range in Canadian barbershops. On a $35 haircut that is roughly $5 to $7. On a $62 cut and hot towel shave, $9 to $12. On a $120 full package, $18 to $24.
It is customary, not compulsory. Nobody will treat you differently for tipping at the low end of that range or for not tipping at all on a given visit.
When to go above it
A long or technical service where the barber clearly spent extra time — a first visit where they worked out what suits your hair, a corrective cut fixing someone else's work, or a detailed beard shape.
Squeezing you in. If you turned up ten minutes before close or without a booking on the busiest Saturday of the month and they took you anyway, that is worth recognising.
A standing relationship. If you see the same barber every three weeks, the tip is less about this one cut than about the fact that they remember your head.
When the usual number does not apply
Discounted services. On a student, child or senior price, tipping on the pre-discount value is a kind gesture but nobody expects it. The percentage on what you paid is fine.
When you are unhappy. Say so before you tip, not instead of tipping. Any barber would rather fix a line that is off than find out from a small tip. Most things can be corrected in five minutes while you are still in the chair.
When the barber owns the shop. Owners are generally tipped the same way in Canada, unlike some other countries where it is considered unnecessary. It is not expected, but it is not unusual.
How to actually pay it
The card terminal will prompt for a tip and that is the simplest route. Cash goes directly to the barber, which some prefer — every Othman's shop has an ATM inside with the service charge waived if you want cash and do not have it on you.
If several barbers worked on you, which happens on a full package, say so at the till and it gets split.
Common questions
Is 15% enough? Yes. 15% is a normal, unremarkable tip in a Canadian barbershop.
Do I tip on the price before or after HST? Either is normal. Most people tip on the pre-tax service price; the difference on a $35 cut is under a dollar.
Do I have to tip at all? No. It is customary, not required, and nobody is keeping score.
What about a line-up between cuts? A $12 edge-up takes fifteen minutes. A couple of dollars is the normal gesture.