Tip calculator
- Runs in your browser
- No signup
- Formula shown below
- Reviewed
A tip calculator finds the gratuity on a bill and divides the total between diners. The tip is bill × (percentage ÷ 100), and each share is (bill + tip) ÷ number of people. An $85.50 bill with an 18% tip comes to $100.89 in total, which is $25.22 each when split four ways.
Result
Each person pays
$25.22
tip = bill × (p ÷ 100); total = bill + tip
- Tip amount
- $15.39
- Bill total with tip
- $100.89
- Tip per person
- $3.85
A $85.50 bill with an 18% tip comes to $100.89 in total, which is $25.22 each when split between 4 people. The tip itself is $15.39.
How to use the tip calculator
- 01
Enter the bill amount
Type the subtotal from the check. US convention tips on the pre-tax figure, so use the subtotal rather than the total where the two differ.
- 02
Choose the tip percentage
Type the gratuity rate. Fifteen percent is the customary minimum for table service in the United States, eighteen to twenty percent is standard, and twenty-five percent signals exceptional service.
- 03
Set the number of people
Type how many ways the bill is being split. Leave it at one to see the total for a single payer.
- 04
Optionally round up
Enable round-up to raise each share to the next whole dollar, which makes cash settlement simpler and raises the effective tip slightly.
- 05
Read each share
The result strip shows what each person owes, and the rows beneath show the tip amount, the bill total and the tip per person.
The formula
tip = bill × (p ÷ 100); total = bill + tip; share = total ÷ people
- bill
- The pre-tip amount shown on the check.
- p
- The tip percentage.
- tip
- The gratuity amount.
- total
- The bill plus the tip.
- people
- The number of diners the total is divided between.
- share
- What each person pays.
US convention is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal rather than the tax-inclusive total, though tipping on the full total is common and adds roughly the sales tax rate to the effective gratuity.
Worked example
- Bill amount
- $85.50
- Tip percentage
- 18%
- Split between
- 4 people
- Result
- $25.22 each
Convert the tip percentage to a multiplier: 18 ÷ 100 = 0.18. The tip is 85.50 × 0.18 = $15.39. The total is 85.50 + 15.39 = $100.89. Dividing between four diners gives 100.89 ÷ 4 = $25.22 each, of which $3.85 is the tip. Enabling round-up raises each share to $26.00, bringing the party total to $104.00 and the effective tip to 21.6%.
Frequently asked questions
How much should you tip at a restaurant in the United States?
Fifteen percent of the pre-tax subtotal is the customary minimum for sit-down table service, eighteen to twenty percent is standard for good service, and twenty-five percent recognises exceptional service. Counter service, coffee shops and takeaway carry no obligation, although a small tip is common. Many US servers are paid a subminimum cash wage and depend on gratuities for most of their income.
Should you tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
US etiquette guidance is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, because sales tax is remitted to the state and is not part of the service provided. Tipping on the post-tax total is nonetheless widespread and adds roughly the local tax rate to the effective gratuity — around 1.5 percentage points at an 8% tax rate.
How do you calculate a 20% tip quickly in your head?
Move the decimal point one place left to find 10%, then double it. On an $85.50 bill, 10% is $8.55, so 20% is $17.10. For 15%, take the 10% figure and add half of it: $8.55 plus $4.28 is $12.83. For 18%, subtract a tenth from the 20% figure: $17.10 minus $1.71 is $15.39.
What is a gratuity or service charge added by the restaurant?
A service charge is a mandatory amount added by the establishment, typically 18 to 20% for parties of six or more. It is legally the restaurant's revenue rather than a tip, and it may not reach the server in full. When a service charge already appears on the check, no additional tip is expected.
Do tipping customs differ outside the United States?
Considerably. Japan treats tipping as inappropriate. Most of continental Europe includes service in the listed price and rounds up only for notable service, usually 5 to 10%. The United Kingdom and Australia sit near 10%, often only for table service. The US expectation of 18 to 20% is unusually high by international standards.
How do you split a bill fairly when orders differ in price?
Splitting evenly is fastest and is appropriate when orders are broadly comparable. When one diner had a considerably more expensive meal, calculating each person's share of the subtotal and applying the same tip percentage to each is fairer. Whichever method is used, agreeing it before the check arrives avoids friction at the table.
Sources
- Tipped employees — federal wage requirements — US Department of Labor
- Tip income reporting requirements — US Internal Revenue Service
- Service charges versus tips — US Department of Labor
Last reviewed: · Formula and sources verified by Syed Aqeel Ahmad Gillani. See the methodology for how every calculation is derived.