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How to use this calculator#
- Enter the billUse the pre-tax subtotal if you want to follow etiquette guides precisely. On a $100 bill with 8% sales tax the difference is only $1.60 at 20%, so most people simply use the total and nobody minds.
- Tap a percentage or type your ownIn the US, 18–20% is the baseline for table service and 25% marks genuinely excellent service. Counter service, a coffee or a takeout order sits nearer 10–15%, and outside North America the norms are lower still.
- Set how many people are splitting itAn even split is fast and usually fine. When one person had three courses and another had soup, total each person's items and apply tax and tip in proportion — an even split quietly transfers money from the light eater to the heavy one.
- Use round-up to land on a clean totalRounding pushes the grand total up to the next whole unit and gives the difference to the server. On a $74.40 total that means paying $75 and tipping $13.00 — an effective 20.97% for the sake of not fumbling with coins.
The formula#
Tip, total and per-person share
Tip = Bill × (p ÷ 100) Total = Bill + Tip PerPerson = Total ÷ n
- Bill
- The bill amount you are tipping on — pre-tax subtotal or full total
- p
- Tip percentage
- Tip
- The gratuity amount
- n
- Number of people splitting the bill
If a service charge or mandatory gratuity is already on the bill, it is part of the total but not part of the base you tip on — subtract it before applying a percentage, or you will tip on the tip. A 12.5% discretionary service charge in the UK is exactly this case, and you are entitled to ask for it to be removed.
How much to tip#
In the United States, 18-20% before tax is the normal restaurant tip, rising to 25% for genuinely excellent service, with 15% now read as mild disappointment. Bartenders expect 1-2 per drink, taxi and rideshare drivers 10-15%, and hairdressers around 20%. The quickest mental shortcut for 20% is to move the decimal one place left and double it: 62 becomes 6.20, doubled to 12.40.
Tipping norms travel badly. Japan treats tipping as faintly insulting and staff may chase you to return the money. Most of continental Europe rounds up or leaves 5-10% because service is legally included. Australia and New Zealand tip rarely, and many UK restaurants add a 12.5% discretionary service charge that you are entitled to ask them to remove.
Pre-tax or post-tax total?#
Etiquette guides say tip on the pre-tax subtotal, since the tax is not part of the service. In practice most people tip on the full total and the difference is small — at 8% sales tax on a 100 bill it is about 1.60. If a service charge or mandatory gratuity has already been applied for a large party, no additional tip is expected.
Splitting a bill fairly#
An even split is fastest and usually fine, but it quietly overcharges whoever had soup and tap water. When orders are lopsided, total each person's items and apportion tax and tip in proportion to their subtotal. Rounding the per-person figure up to the nearest whole unit avoids fumbling for change and typically adds only a fraction of a percent to the overall tip.
Worked examples#
20% on a $62 bill, split two ways
Dinner for two, standard table service.
- 10% of 62 = 6.20
- Double it for 20%: 6.20 × 2 = 12.40
- Total = 62 + 12.40 = 74.40
- Per person = 74.40 ÷ 2 = 37.20
$12.40 of tip, a $74.40 total and $37.20 each.
18% on a $78.50 bill, split three ways, rounded up
A group meal where nobody wants to deal with change.
- Tip = 78.50 × 0.18 = 14.13
- Total = 78.50 + 14.13 = 92.63
- Round the total up to the next whole dollar: 93.00
- Tip becomes 93.00 − 78.50 = 14.50, an effective 18.47%
- Per person = 93.00 ÷ 3 = 31.00
$31.00 each on the nose. The rounding added 37 cents to the tip and removed all the arithmetic from the table.
Reference tables#
| Bill | 15% | 18% | 20% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $3.00 | $3.60 | $4.00 | $5.00 |
| $25 | $3.75 | $4.50 | $5.00 | $6.25 |
| $40 | $6.00 | $7.20 | $8.00 | $10.00 |
| $50 | $7.50 | $9.00 | $10.00 | $12.50 |
| $62 | $9.30 | $11.16 | $12.40 | $15.50 |
| $75 | $11.25 | $13.50 | $15.00 | $18.75 |
| $100 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | $25.00 |
| $150 | $22.50 | $27.00 | $30.00 | $37.50 |
| $200 | $30.00 | $36.00 | $40.00 | $50.00 |
Everything scales: a $325 bill at 20% is 3.25 × $20.00 = $65.00.
| Service | Customary tip |
|---|---|
| Restaurant, table service | 18–20%, 25% for exceptional service |
| Counter service or coffee | 0–10%, or the change |
| Bartender | $1–2 per drink, or 15–20% of the tab |
| Food delivery | 15–20%, minimum $5 in bad weather |
| Taxi or rideshare | 10–15% |
| Hairdresser or barber | 15–20% |
| Hotel housekeeping | $3–5 per night, left daily |
| Hotel porter | $2–3 per bag |
Tipped restaurant staff in many US states may be paid a sub-minimum cash wage, with tips expected to bridge the gap to the full minimum. That is why US restaurant tipping norms are so much higher than elsewhere.
| Country or region | Typical restaurant tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 18–20% | Expected; staff wages are structured around it |
| Canada | 15–20% | Similar to the US; some provinces have a higher tipped wage |
| United Kingdom | 10–12.5% | Often added as a discretionary service charge you may ask to remove |
| France | 0–5% | Service is included by law; rounding up is a courtesy |
| Germany | 5–10% | Round up and state the total when paying |
| Italy and Spain | 0–10% | A cover charge may already appear on the bill |
| Japan | None | Tipping can cause confusion or offence |
| China | None | Not customary outside international hotels |
| Australia and New Zealand | 0–10% | Uncommon; reserved for notably good service |
| UAE and Gulf states | 10–15% | A service charge is often already included |
Where service is legally included — most of continental Europe — an additional tip is a bonus, not an obligation. Where staff are paid a tipped sub-minimum wage, it functions as part of their income.
Common mistakes#
- Tipping on top of an included service chargeLarge parties are frequently hit with an automatic 18–20% gratuity. Adding another 20% on the line marked 'total' means paying roughly 40%, and the extra rarely reaches the server any faster than the first amount did.
- Splitting evenly when the orders were notOn a $186.40 bill split four ways at 18%, everyone pays $54.99. The person who had a salad and tap water has just bought part of somebody's steak and second bottle of wine.
- Assuming card tips reach the server intactDepending on jurisdiction and venue, card tips may be pooled, delayed to the next payroll run, or reduced by processing fees. Cash reaches the person immediately, which is why many servers still prefer it.
- Exporting American tipping habitsA 20% tip in Tokyo will usually be returned to you, and in much of Europe it marks you out rather than expressing gratitude. Look at whether service is already itemised on the bill before deciding what to add.
Frequently asked questions#
Is 15% still an acceptable tip?
In the US, 15% now reads as below standard for table service, where 18-20% is the baseline. It remains perfectly normal for counter service or a quick coffee.
Should I tip on takeout?
It is optional but appreciated — 10%, or a couple of units, is common when staff have packed a large order. Delivery drivers are usually tipped 15-20%.
How do I split a bill with an uneven order?
Total each person's items, then apply tax and tip proportionally to each subtotal. This calculator splits evenly, so use it once you have agreed the shares.
Key terms#
- Gratuity
- A voluntary payment for service. Becomes a mandatory service charge when the venue adds it automatically.
- Service charge
- A percentage the restaurant adds to the bill itself. Legally the venue's revenue in many jurisdictions, though UK law now requires it to be passed to staff.
- Tip pooling
- Combining tips across staff — servers, bussers, bartenders, kitchen — and redistributing them by formula, so what you leave one person is rarely what they receive.
- Tip credit
- A US provision letting employers count tips toward the minimum wage, paying a lower direct cash wage. It is why the tip is treated as wages rather than a bonus.
- Couvert or coperto
- A per-person cover charge common in Italy, Spain and Portugal, covering bread and table service. It is not a tip and is not distributed as one.
Sources#
- Fact Sheet #15: Tipped employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- Tips, gratuities and service charges — how they must be handled — GOV.UK
- Topic no. 761, Tips — withholding and reporting — Internal Revenue Service
Figures last checked .
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