Tip Calculator
Calculate restaurant bill gratuity tips and split total bill amounts evenly among party members.
Tip Breakdown
Local norms, and what to tip on
The arithmetic is trivial — multiply the bill by the percentage — and the judgement is not, because tipping norms are local and vary enormously. In the United States 15-20% is standard for table service, and servers are often paid a sub-minimum wage on the assumption that tips make up the difference. Across much of Europe service is frequently included and rounding up suffices, while in Japan tipping can be actively unwelcome.
Whether to tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total is genuinely unsettled. Tipping on the pre-tax amount is the more defensible position, since sales tax is not part of the service, though post-tax is common and the difference on a typical bill is small. Where a service charge or gratuity is already added — usual for large groups — an additional tip is not expected.
For mental arithmetic, 10% is a decimal shift and everything else builds from it: 20% is double it, 15% is 10% plus half of that. Splitting a bill evenly is dividing the total including tip by the number of people; splitting by item means calculating each share's tip proportionally, which is where a calculator earns its place.
Frequently asked questions
How to split a restaurant bill with tip?
Total Per Person = (Bill Amount + (Bill Amount × Tip Percentage / 100)) / Number of People.
How much should I tip?
In the United States, 15-20% of the pre-tax bill is standard for table service, with 20% now common for good service; 10% or a couple of coins suffices for counter service. Tipping norms vary enormously by country - it is built into wages in much of Europe and can be considered rude in Japan - so check local custom when travelling.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total?
Convention is pre-tax, since tax is not part of the service. In practice many people tip on the total for simplicity, which adds a percentage point or two. Watch for a service charge already added for large parties - tipping again on top duplicates it.
How do I split a bill fairly?
Dividing the total equally is simplest and fine when orders are similar. When they are not, apportion by what each person ordered, then add the same tip percentage and tax share to each. Splitting the tip equally while splitting the food by item is a common source of small unfairness.