Tipping in Quebec had a problem, so the government passed a law. The first tip option is now higher than it was before the law existed.

The old system calculated tips on top of Quebec's 15% sales tax, pushing a stated 15% tip to roughly 17.5% in practice. The law banned that and required the "other" option on payment machines to be as visible as the presets. Restaurants responded by setting the new first option at 18%.

The same pattern shows up in a separate consumer protection law now coming into effect. Washers and dryers must last five years. Fridges, stoves, and freezers, six years. Cell phones, three years. Retailers are warning those guarantees will push appliance prices up 10 to 30 percent.

Topics: tipping, tip creep, Quebec consumer laws, appliance warranty law, government regulation

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Originally aired on 2026-05-15