Tip Calculator & Bill Splitter

Tipping Etiquette: How Much to Tip and When

Tipping norms vary by country. In the US, 18–20% is a common restaurant baseline on satisfactory service; percentages have risen over time.

Splitting fairly: many groups tip on the full bill then divide the grand total equally. This calculator shows per-person totals for an equal split.

Abroad: Japan often finds tipping inappropriate; Europe often expects small rounding; Australia/New Zealand less expectation. Check for service charges already included.

How the tip is calculated

The calculator uses three steps: tip = bill × tip % ÷ 100, total = bill + tip, and per person = total ÷ number of people. The preset buttons cover 10, 15, 18, 20 and 25%, and the custom field accepts any percentage from 0 to 100.

Amounts are shown to the cent but are not rounded before splitting, so each person’s share is exact. When you pay, rounding everyone’s share up to the next cent usually leaves a few cents extra for the server — see the first example below.

Worked examples

• Dinner for four: a $146.50 bill at 18% gives a $26.37 tip and a $172.87 total. Split four ways that is $43.2175 each — pay $43.22 each and the table hands over $172.88, one cent more than the total.
• Delivery order: $64.00 at 15% is a $9.60 tip, $73.60 in total. Set people to 1.
• Splitting only the tip: if each person settles their own food by card but you leave one cash tip, enter the shared bill, read the tip line, and divide it by the number of people.

Tip on the pre-tax or after-tax amount?

US etiquette guides consider tipping on the pre-tax subtotal entirely acceptable; many people tip on the final total simply because it is the number at the bottom of the receipt. The difference is small but real. On an $80.00 subtotal in New York City, 8.875% sales tax adds $7.10. A 20% tip on the pre-tax $80.00 is $16.00; on the $87.10 total it is $17.42 — $1.42 more.

To tip on the pre-tax amount, enter the subtotal line from the receipt as the bill, then add the tax back when you pay.

Check the receipt before you tip

• Automatic gratuity: many US restaurants add 18–20% automatically for parties of six or more. It appears as “gratuity” or “service charge”; if it is there, an extra tip is optional.
• Service charges are not always tips: some venues use a “service fee” or “kitchen fee” that does not go to your server. If it matters to you, ask.
• Discounts and coupons: it is customary to tip on what the meal would have cost before the discount, since the service was the same.
• Card terminals that suggest 20/25/30% often calculate on the after-tax total. Use the calculator to see what percentage you are actually leaving.

Mental-math shortcuts

• 10%: move the decimal point one place left — $54.80 → $5.48.
• 20%: double the 10% figure — $10.96.
• 15%: the 10% figure plus half of it — $5.48 + $2.74 = $8.22.
• 18%: the 20% figure minus 2% (one fifth of the 10% figure) — $10.96 − $1.10 = $9.86.

Typical US tipping ranges beyond restaurants

Etiquette guides broadly agree on the ranges below for the United States. They are conventions, not rules — local custom and the quality of service matter more than any table. Use the custom percentage field for anything that is not a preset.

• Bartenders: $1–2 per drink, or 15–20% of the tab.
• Food delivery: 15–20%, with a few dollars minimum on small orders or in bad weather.
• Taxi and rideshare drivers: 15–20% of the fare.
• Hair stylists and barbers: 15–20% of the service price.
• Hotel housekeeping: a few dollars per night, left daily because staff can change.
• Takeout and counter service: optional; 0–10% is common.