Tip Calculator

Tip and split, without the mental arithmetic

Enter the bill, slide the tip to where you want it, and say how many of you there are. The tip, the total and each person’s share appear immediately, and the table shows what a few other percentages would come to — useful when you are deciding between 18 and 20.

Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored or logged.

The odd cent

Most tip calculators have a small bug that nobody notices, and this one fixes it.

Split $40 between three people and each share is $13.3333…, which is not an amount of money. The usual answer is “$13.33 each” — and three times $13.33 is $39.99. The bill is a cent short.

This tool says $13.33 or $13.34, and tells you underneath that one person pays the extra cent. The shares always add back up to the total exactly.

It is a trivial amount and it is the sort of thing that matters: a calculator whose numbers do not reconcile is a calculator you have to check.

How much to tip

There is no universal answer, and confidently giving one would be the least useful thing this page could do. Customs differ enormously, and getting it wrong in either direction is awkward.

United States and Canada. 15–20% is standard for table service, more for exceptional service or a difficult request. This is not optional in the way it is elsewhere: in many US states, tipped staff are paid a lower base wage on the assumption that tips make up the difference. 15% is the floor, 18–20% is normal, and under 15% reads as a complaint.

United Kingdom and Ireland. 10–12.5% at restaurants, and often already added as a “discretionary service charge” — check before adding more. Not usual in pubs when ordering at the bar.

Much of continental Europe. Service is generally included by law. Rounding up, or leaving 5–10% for good service, is plenty. A 20% tip will be received as unusual generosity rather than as the norm.

Japan and South Korea. Tipping is not customary and can cause genuine discomfort or be refused. Good service is simply expected.

The reliable rule anywhere: look at the bill first. A service charge already added is common in many countries, and tipping on top of it is optional.

Pre-tax or post-tax?

A perennial argument, and the honest answer is that it barely matters.

The US convention is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, on the reasoning that the tax is not the restaurant’s money. In practice most people use whatever number is at the bottom of the bill, which tips slightly more.

On a $50 meal with 8% sales tax, tipping 20% pre-tax is $10.00 and post-tax is $10.80. The difference is 80 cents. If you want to be precise, enter the subtotal rather than the total — but nobody is counting.

The rounding options

Exact amounts — the arithmetic, to the cent.

Round the total up — takes the whole bill to the next whole unit. Useful for cash, and for leaving a round number on the table.

Round each share up — takes each person’s amount to a whole unit, so everyone hands over the same easy number. The extra goes to the tip.

Both options only ever round up. Rounding a tip down to tidy the arithmetic takes money off the person who served you, so it is not offered.

Doing it in your head

Worth knowing for when your phone is in your pocket.

10% — move the decimal point one place left. A $58.40 bill is $5.84.

20% — do that, then double it. $11.68.

15% — take the 10%, halve it, add the two together. $5.84 + $2.92 = $8.76.

18% — 20% minus a tenth of the 20%. $11.68 − $1.17 ≈ $10.51.

Rounding as you go is entirely fine. Nobody is auditing the arithmetic, and a tip rounded up to the nearest dollar is easier for everyone.

Large groups

Two things change once you are more than about six people.

Many restaurants add an automatic service charge for large parties — typically 18–20% — and it is usually printed on the bill in small type. Adding a full tip on top is generous rather than expected, so read before you calculate.

And splitting evenly gets contentious when people ordered very differently. The even split is the fast, friendly default and it is what this tool does; if one person had a starter and tap water while another had the tasting menu, splitting by what each ordered — then adding the tip proportionally — is fairer, and worth the extra minute.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I tip?

It depends entirely on where you are. In the United States, 15–20% is normal for table service and often makes up most of a server's pay. In much of Europe service is included and rounding up is plenty. In Japan and South Korea, tipping can cause offense. Check the bill for a service charge before adding anything.

Why does it say two different amounts per person?

Because the bill does not divide evenly. $40 between three people is $13.333…, so someone has to pay a cent more. Most calculators round to $13.33 each and quietly come up a cent short of the bill; this one tells you how many people pay the extra.

Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?

Convention in the US is on the pre-tax subtotal, though many people simply use the total, which tips a little more. The difference on a $50 bill with 8% tax is about 80 cents at 20%. Nobody will mind either way — if you want to be precise, enter the subtotal rather than the total.

What do the rounding options do?

"Round the total up" takes the whole bill to the next whole unit, which is handy for cash. "Round each share up" does the same to each person's amount, so everyone pays a round number and the tip absorbs the difference. Both only ever round up — rounding down would take money off the server.

How do I tip on a large group bill?

Check the bill first: many restaurants add an automatic service charge for parties above six or eight. If one is already there, adding a further tip is optional and often unnecessary. The comparison table on the page makes it easy to see what a few different percentages come to.

Does it work in other currencies?

The arithmetic is identical whatever the currency — only the symbol shown differs. Percentages, splitting and rounding all behave the same way.

Is anything sent to a server?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is uploaded, stored or logged.