Puerto Vallarta Tipping
Before we start, here is a quick story that might help with tipping. When we first arrived I was still a bit unclear on the exchange rate, I was about to tip someone 20 pesos, my wife stopped me and reminded me that I was about to tip about $1 USD. A bit embarrassing to tip that little for almost anything. Our rule is no tip should be less than 40 pesos- except the grocery baggers.
Second important tip on tipping, you should always tip in Pesos. The rules on exchanging money are pretty tight and 90% of the time will require a passport, many Mexicans do not have one.
Knowing whom to tip or how much to tip them can be a little confusing. Use this chart to help you identify all the right people and how much gratuity you should give them for their service. You will find that most of the people you would tip at home still receive tips down here. There are some people in Mexico that should be tipped, who are not typically given gratuities in the United States or Canada and those include the following:
People like grocery store baggers are not paid a salary, instead, they rely solely on the tips they make from bagging your groceries. Baggers are generally kids and elderly people.
Some other exceptions: Taxi drivers. Unlike in other areas of the world, tipping is not seen as socially compulsory in Puerto Vallarta. The drivers that power the city's network of taxis are associated with a union that negotiates wages and fares that keep up with typical living expenses for a local resident. This is the reason these taxis use standard fares instead of relying on a meter, and so the base fare (which should always be confirmed before the ride begins) is usually sufficient compensation for the services rendered.
However, it is acceptable to leave a small tip worth approximately 20 percent, or two gratuity pesos for every 10 pesos of fare, if a driver provides services that go above and beyond his basic duties such as helping carry heavy packages to your door. Passengers who request that their drivers stop at an intermediate location before their final destination should also tip their drivers a modest amount, and it is common practice to ask if a driver would like a snack or beverage if the stop is a convenience store.
All-inclusive resorts often employ roving servers who constantly deliver food and beverages to guests, and although these amenities and more are included in the price of accommodations, gratuity for the individual workers is not. For this reason, courteous travellers should be prepared to offer a few pesos for every round of service. This amount can depend on the quality and consistency of the services rendered, but it should be noted that a tip or two can have a surprising effect on the overall service experience.