How to use the tip calculator
- Enter the bill amount from your receipt.
- Pick a tip percentage, or choose Custom and type your own.
- Enter the number of people splitting the bill.
- Optionally enter the sales tax rate. Then say whether the bill amount already includes tax, and whether you want to tip on the amount before tax.
- Tick round each person's share up if you'd rather everyone pays a whole amount. The extra goes to the tip.
How the tip is calculated
The tip base is the amount you tip on. By default it's the whole bill. If you enter a tax rate and keep "tip on the amount before tax" ticked, the calculator strips the tax out first, which is how many people prefer to tip because tax isn't part of the service. When the share is rounded up, the calculator raises the total to the rounded shares and shows the new, slightly higher tip.
Worked example
The defaults are an $80.00 bill, an 18% tip and 2 people:
- Tip: $80.00 × 0.18 = $14.40
- Total: $80.00 + $14.40 = $94.40
- Each person pays: $94.40 ÷ 2 = $47.20
If the $80.00 already includes 8% sales tax, the amount before tax is $80.00 ÷ 1.08 = $74.07, so an 18% tip on that is $13.33 and the total is $93.33. If you round each share of $47.20 up to $48.00 instead, the total becomes $96.00 and the tip rises to $16.00, which works out to 20% of the bill.
Tip guide for the US
| Service | Usual tip |
|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant, good service | 18–20% |
| Restaurant, average service | 15% |
| Large groups (often added as a service charge) | 18–20% |
| Bartender | $1–2 per drink, or 15–20% of the tab |
| Food delivery | 15–20%, at least $3–5 |
| Taxi or rideshare | 15–20% |
| Hair stylist, barber | 15–20% |
| Takeout, counter service | optional, 0–10% |
Customs vary by country. In much of Europe and Asia, service is included in prices or a small round-up is enough, while in the US and Canada tips make up a large part of many service workers' pay. Check the receipt for a "service charge" or "gratuity" line before adding a tip, so you don't tip twice.
Quick mental math
To find 10%, move the decimal point one place left: 10% of $80 is $8. Then 20% is double that ($16), 15% is $8 plus half of $8 ($12), and 18% is $16 minus a fifth of $8 ($14.40). For 25%, divide the bill by 4.
Frequently asked questions
Should I tip on the total before or after tax?
Either is common, and the difference is small: on an $80 bill with 8% tax it's about $1 at 18%. Many etiquette guides suggest tipping on the pre-tax amount, since tax isn't part of the service. Enter the tax rate and tick "tip on the amount before tax" to do this.
How do I split a bill with a tip?
Add the tip to the bill, then divide by the number of people. An $80 bill with an 18% tip is $94.40, so two people pay $47.20 each. If people ordered very different amounts, work out each person's share of the bill first and apply the same tip percentage to each.
What does rounding each share up do?
It rounds every person's share up to the next whole dollar (or whole unit of your currency), so nobody has to pay in cents. The extra is added to the tip. With two people paying $47.20, rounding gives $48.00 each and raises the tip from $14.40 to $16.00.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
Not always. A service charge is added by the business, and it may or may not go to the staff; ask if you're unsure. If a service charge or automatic gratuity is already on the bill, you usually don't need to tip again unless the service was exceptional.
Related calculators
- Sales Tax Calculator — Add sales tax to a price, take it back out of a total, or find the rate from a receipt.
- Discount Calculator — Final price after a percent or dollar discount, with an optional second stacked discount and sales tax.
- Percentage Calculator — Percent of a number, what percent one number is of another, percentage change and difference.
- Percent Off Calculator — Quick sale price for any percent off, the amount you save, and the total with sales tax.
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