What to enter
- Bill amount
- The amount you want to tip on. Many people tip on the pre-tax subtotal, while others tip on the total including tax. Either is common, so enter whichever you prefer.
- Tip percentage
- Type your own percentage or use the quick buttons. In U.S. sit-down restaurants, tips of 15% to 20% are common, and many diners now tip 18% to 20% or more for good service. Norms differ by type of service and by country.
- Number of people splitting
- The number of ways to divide the total equally.
- Rounding
- Choose no rounding, round the total up to the next dollar, or round each person’s share up to the next dollar. Rounding up slightly increases the effective tip.
How to read your results
The main figure is the total with tip, or the amount each person pays when you are splitting. The table shows the tip amount, the tip per person, the total per person and the effective tip percentage. When you round up, the effective percentage is a bit higher than the one you typed, and this line shows by how much. The comparison table underneath shows the tip, the total and the per-person amount at 15%, 18%, 20%, 22% and 25% for your bill, so you can compare without retyping.
The formulas
Total = bill + tip
Per person = total ÷ number of peopleWith rounding, the total (or each share) is raised to the next whole dollar and the tip is recalculated as the total minus the bill.
Effective tip percentage is the final tip divided by the bill, times 100.
Worked example
A $50 bill at 18%
The tip is $50 × 0.18 = $9.00, and the total is $59.00.
Splitting four ways. A $96.40 bill with a 20% tip has a tip of $19.28 and a total of $115.68, or $28.92 each. If each person rounds their share up to a whole dollar, everyone pays $29.00, the total becomes $116.00 and the effective tip rises to 20.33%.
Rounding the total. Rounding a single payer’s total up to the next dollar gives $116.00, an effective tip of 20.33%.
Tipping practices worth knowing
Before you tip on the full total, check whether the bill already includes a service charge or an automatic gratuity, which is common for large parties. If it does, an additional tip is optional. Tipping conventions differ across services: table service, bars, food delivery, hair and personal care, ride services and hotels all have their own norms, and they change over time. When in doubt, consider the quality of service and local custom.
Tipped workers rely on tips as part of their pay. Under federal law, employers may pay tipped employees a lower direct cash wage when tips make up the difference to the full minimum wage, and the amounts vary by state, so tips are often a large share of a worker’s earnings. Tips are also taxable income for the worker. For 2025 through 2028, a federal deduction for qualified tips may reduce the income tax on tips for eligible workers, subject to limits; details are on the IRS pages linked below.
When splitting a bill fairly, decide in advance whether to divide equally or by item. Splitting equally is simple, and the per-person figure here makes it quick. If one person ordered much more or drank alcohol while others did not, an item-by-item split may feel fairer, and you can still use the tip on the whole bill to decide the total.
Assumptions and limits
The calculator divides the total equally and applies one tip percentage to the amount you enter. It does not know your local customs, whether a service charge is included or how tax is handled on your bill. For adding sales tax to a purchase, use the sales tax calculator, and for a general percentage of any number, the percentage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I tip?
There is no fixed rule. At sit-down restaurants in the United States, 15% to 20% is common, with 18% to 20% frequently used for good service. Other services follow their own norms. Adjust for the quality of service and local custom.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Both are common. Tipping on the pre-tax subtotal is the more traditional approach and results in a slightly smaller tip. Enter whichever amount you want to tip on.
How do I split a bill and a tip evenly?
Enter the number of people. The calculator adds the tip to the bill and divides the total by the number of people. To round up, choose the per-person rounding option.
What does rounding up do to the tip?
It raises the total to the next whole dollar, so the effective tip percentage is a little higher than the one you entered. The effective percentage line shows the exact amount.
Is the tip included in the bill already?
Check the check itself. Some restaurants add an automatic gratuity for large parties, and some charge a service fee that may or may not go to staff. If a gratuity is included, tipping more is optional.