About the Tip Calculator
This tip calculator settles the two questions that hold up the end of a meal: how much to leave, and what each person owes. Drag the tip slider to any percentage from 0 to 30, set the number of people, and it returns the gratuity, the total and the per-person share. There is also a round-up option that pushes each share to the next whole unit, which avoids the awkward scramble for small change. A reference table shows the totals at 10, 12.5, 15, 18, 20 and 25 percent so you can see the whole range at a glance.
How to use the Tip Calculator
- 1
Enter the Bill amount, using the pre-tax subtotal if you prefer to tip on that basis.
- 2
Drag the Tip slider to the percentage you want to leave.
- 3
Set 'Split between' to the number of people sharing the bill.
- 4
Tick 'Round each share up' if you want everyone to pay a whole amount.
- 5
Read the tip, total and per-person figures, then check the comparison table for other percentages.
What people use it for
Group dinners
An 80 bill at 18% split between two comes to 47.20 each. The round-up option makes it 48, and the small surplus lands with the server rather than in loose change.
Travelling somewhere unfamiliar
The comparison table shows the whole range at once, which helps when you know the local norm is closer to 10% than the 20% you are used to at home.
Deliveries and taxis
Small bills need a floor rather than a percentage. Check what 15% actually comes to on a 12 order and decide whether a flat amount is fairer.
The arithmetic, and mental shortcuts that work
The tip is bill × (percentage ÷ 100), the total is bill plus tip, and each share is the total divided by the number of people. On an 80 bill at 15% the tip is 12, the total is 92, and split two ways each person pays 46. Ticking round-up applies a ceiling to each share, so 47.20 becomes 48, and the group therefore pays slightly more than the calculated total — the surplus is a rounding buffer, not an error. Three mental shortcuts cover most situations. Ten percent is the decimal point moved one place left. Twenty percent is that figure doubled. Fifteen percent is ten percent plus half of it again, so on 62 that is 6.20 plus 3.10, or 9.30. For 18%, take 20% and subtract a tenth of that. Where a bill shows tax separately, doubling the tax line is a common American approximation for a tip, though it only works where sales tax happens to sit near 8 to 10 percent.
Tipping norms are not universal
Customs vary enormously and getting them wrong is either expensive or rude. In the United States, tipped staff can legally be paid a sub-minimum base wage topped up by gratuities, so 18 to 20 percent for table service is genuinely expected rather than discretionary, with 25 percent for exceptional service. Canada sits slightly lower at 15 to 20. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, 10 to 12.5 percent is normal and a discretionary service charge is often already added to the bill, in which case an additional tip is not expected. Across much of continental Europe, service is included by law and rounding up or leaving 5 to 10 percent is generous. In Japan, China and South Korea, tipping is not customary and can cause genuine awkwardness, with some restaurants returning the money. In much of the Middle East and South Asia, 10 percent is a common benchmark. Etiquette guides also suggest tipping on the pre-tax subtotal, since tax is not part of the service, though many people tip on the total for simplicity. Check whether a service charge is already on the bill before adding anything.
Tips
- Look for a line reading service charge or gratuity before you tip — adding on top of an included charge is a common and costly slip.
- For very small bills, a flat minimum is often more appropriate than a percentage.
- Cash tips generally reach staff more directly than card tips, which can be pooled or delayed by payroll.