Tip Calculator
Quickly figure out how much to tip and how to split the bill. Enter your bill amount, desired tip percentage, and number of people to see the tip and total per person.
Tipping is one of those everyday calculations where the math is trivial but the social conventions are tangled. In the U.S., standard tipping ranges have crept up over the past decade — 15% used to be standard for sit-down service, now 18–20% is the new normal, and many tipping screens default to 22–25%. This calculator just does the arithmetic; the right percentage depends on where you are and what kind of service you're tipping.
Enter a bill amount, a tip percentage, and how many people are splitting. The calculator returns the tip dollar amount, total bill with tip, and per-person share. It handles the common edge cases: rounding to a whole dollar amount, splitting unevenly, and showing what the per-person share would be at multiple tip levels.
The math is the same whether you're tipping in cash, on a card, or via a payment app. Where things vary is whether the tip is calculated on pre-tax or post-tax amounts — both are acceptable in the U.S., and most diners use the post-tax total because it's simpler.
Inputs
Results
Tip Amount
$17.00
Total Amount
$102.00
Tip Per Person
$8.50
Total Per Person
$51.00
Bill Breakdown
Formula
How to use this calculator
- Enter the bill amount. Use the pre-tax subtotal if your service standards are strict; use the post-tax total for simpler math (both are acceptable in the U.S.).
- Enter the tip percentage you want to leave. 15% is the conventional minimum for sit-down service in the U.S.; 20% is the modern default; 25%+ for exceptional service.
- Enter the number of people splitting the bill. Default to even splits unless the diners specifically ate very differently.
- Review the per-person share. Round up to the nearest dollar if you want simpler cash logistics.
- For multi-tip-level comparisons, run the calculator a few times — 15%, 18%, 20%, 22% — to see your options side by side.
Worked examples
Casual dinner
$48 bill, 20% tip, splitting between 2 people. Tip: $9.60 Total: $57.60 Per person: $28.80 Common practice is to round up to $30 each for cash simplicity, which effectively bumps the tip to 25%.
Larger party
$340 bill, 18% tip, splitting between 6 people. Tip: $61.20 Total: $401.20 Per person: $66.87 Many restaurants automatically add a "gratuity" of 18–20% for parties of 6 or 8 or more. Check the receipt — if it's already included, don't double-tip.
When to use this calculator
Use this calculator whenever you want to be precise: large group dinners, business meals where you're expensing the tip, payment-app splitting, or any situation where rounding errors stack up. For solo meals at home with familiar percentages, mental math is faster.
A few situational notes: - Buffet/counter service: 10–15% is conventional if there's any table service; 0–5% for self-service - Delivery: 15–20% on the food total, more in bad weather or for long distances - Taxis/rideshare: 15–20% is standard, more for help with bags or extra stops - Hair, nails, spa services: 15–25% is conventional - Hotels: $2–5 per night for housekeeping, $1–2 per bag for bellhop - Outside the U.S.: tipping norms vary dramatically. In Japan, tipping can be considered rude; in much of Europe, a small round-up is enough; in the U.K. and Australia, 10–15% is generous.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Double-tipping when a "service charge" or "gratuity" is already on the bill. Read the receipt before adding.
- Tipping on the tax portion only. The base for the percentage is the pre-tax subtotal (strict) or the post-tax total (common) — but not just the tax.
- Splitting unevenly without saying so. If one person had two entrees and another had a salad, an even split feels unfair. Decide before the check comes.
- Forgetting the tip in cash budgets. If you brought $50 cash for a meal, a $40 bill with 20% tip is $48 — close to the limit.
- Tipping on coupon/discount values. The standard is to tip on what the bill would have been without the discount, since the server's work was the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & further reading
- Tipping practices in the United States — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics