Tip calculator
Work out the tip, the total, and what each person owes. Built to be fast on a phone at the table, which is the only place anyone uses one of these.
Built and checked by Mubashir, who works in accounting and finance. Formula and sources shown below. Not financial advice.
The bill
Each person pays
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Total tip
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Bill plus tip
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Tip per person
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Show the working
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How much to tip
There is no universal answer, and the honest version of this section is that tipping norms vary more by country than almost any other social convention around money.
In the United States, tipping is effectively part of the wage. Restaurant servers in many states are paid a reduced base rate on the assumption that tips make up the difference, which is why 18 to 20% has become standard for table service and why not tipping is treated as a statement rather than an oversight.
Across most of Europe, service is included by law or convention and the norm is rounding up or leaving five to ten percent for good service. In Japan and South Korea, tipping is not customary and can cause genuine awkwardness. In much of South Asia and the Middle East, ten percent is common in restaurants that do not already add a service charge.
The practical rule when travelling: check whether a service charge already appears on the bill before adding anything.
Tipping on the pre-tax or post-tax amount
Where sales tax is added at the till, this question comes up constantly. Tipping on the pre-tax subtotal is the technically defensible position, since tax is not part of the service. Tipping on the total is simpler and slightly more generous.
The difference is small enough that it rarely matters — on a 50 bill with 8% tax, the gap between the two approaches is about 60 units of currency. Most people use whichever number is printed larger.
Splitting unevenly
This calculator divides the total equally, which handles the common case. Uneven splits, where one person had three courses and another had soup, are better resolved by having each person tip on their own items at the same percentage. The arithmetic is the same, applied to smaller numbers.
For large groups, check the bill before splitting. Many restaurants add an automatic service charge to parties above a threshold, typically six or eight people, and tipping again on top of it is a common and expensive mistake.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I tip at a restaurant?
It depends entirely on where you are. Roughly 18 to 20% is standard in the United States, five to ten percent or rounding up is typical across much of Europe, and tipping is not customary in Japan. Check whether a service charge is already included first.
Do I tip on the tax?
Either is acceptable. Tipping on the pre-tax subtotal is more precise since tax is not part of the service; tipping on the total is simpler. The difference is usually trivial.
What if a service charge is already added?
Then the tip has effectively been collected and no further tipping is expected. Adding more on top is optional and reserved for exceptional service. Large groups are frequently charged automatically, so check the bill.
How do I split a bill unevenly?
Have each person calculate the same tip percentage on their own items rather than dividing the total. Same arithmetic, applied individually.
Should I tip for takeaway or delivery?
Delivery is generally tipped, since it is a service performed for you. Takeaway collected in person is less consistently tipped, though a small amount is common in places where tipping culture is strong.
Why does the tip percentage vary so much by country?
It tracks how service staff are paid. Where base wages are low and tips are assumed to supplement them, tipping norms are high and rigid. Where service staff receive a full wage, tipping is discretionary and small.