When to tip can get a little tricky. Do you tip when you buy a coffee at Starbucks? What if you're taking your food to go? CTV consumer reporter Lynda Steele hit the streets with an etiquette expert to get some advice on tipping protocol.

Etiquette expert Margaret Page says tipping pumps $40 billion into the North American economy each year, but who and how much you are supposed to tip can be confusing.

Page advises that a tip is not expected at your local coffee shop, although counter staff do appreciate it.

Page says you can skip the tip on takeout food as well. And beware if you're using a portable debit machine at a restaurant, you may be tipping on top of the tax.

"It's not necessary to pay a tip on the taxes. After all, that portion is going to the government," said Page.

When it comes to tipping for taxis, Page says 10 to 15 per cent is the norm.

"If they got you there on time and you were in a rush, definitely tip fifteen per cent," she said.  

Hotel bellhops usually get $2 to $5 per bag, but don't feel obligated.

"If our customers are feeling happy with the service they've received -- it's always appreciated by our staff -- but it's certainly not something they expect every single time," said Kyle Matheson of the Sutton Place Hotel.

Salon and spa staff often get stiffed when it comes to tips.

"A woman just said to me this morning ‘I wish they would just include it in the price because then I would feel comfortable because it's this discomfort with not knowing what to tip,'" said Page.

Overall, Canadians are viewed as worse tippers than Americans and women are seen as less generous tippers than men.

According to a Bank of Montreal tipping survey, Canadians admitted to tipping pizza and delivery people less than fifteen per cent. Nearly one in four Canadians say they don't leave a tip at all after receiving spa or nail services.

And what about tipping etiquette when you're out with a group? Most times the tip often comes up short. But there's an App for that. Free tip calculator apps are available which instantly figure out how much each person owes.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lynda Steele