Bill amount
Tip
Tip %
Split between
Tip is worked out on
Sales tax already on the bill
Tipping on the pre-tax figure is the customary basis in the US.
Rounding
Rounding each share up is what stops a split coming in short.
Total to pay
$120.00
$100.00 bill plus $20.00 tip
tip = 100.00 x 0.20 = 20.00
Tipping on the total rather than the pre-tax bill costs more, and on a large bill the gap is real money.
How do you calculate a tip?
Multiply the bill by the tip as a decimal. Twenty percent of $100 is $20, giving $120 to pay. To do it in your head, take ten percent by moving the decimal point one place, then double it for twenty, or halve it and add it back for fifteen.
15%
Ten percent, plus half of that again.
18%
Twenty percent, less a tenth of the tip.
20%
Ten percent, doubled. The easiest to check.
Should you tip before or after tax?
Customarily, on the bill before tax. Tax is money the restaurant collects for the state, not money it earned, so tipping on it means tipping the government. Many card terminals suggest percentages of the post-tax total, which quietly raises the tip.
On a $100 pre-tax bill with 8.25% sales tax, a 20% tip is $20 on the food and drink, or $21.65 on the total. The gap is small on one meal and adds up over a year. Neither answer is wrong, and the calculator above shows both so you can pick deliberately rather than by default.
Splitting a bill without coming up short
Divide the total by the number of people and you will usually get a figure with cents in it. Each person rounds down, the collection comes in under the bill, and someone quietly covers the difference.
- Round each share up. Everyone pays a few cents more and the total always covers the bill, with the excess going to the tip.
- Round the total up and divide it, which keeps shares equal and the maths visible.
- Split by what each person ordered when the difference is large. Splitting evenly is friendlier only when the orders were similar.
Turn on rounding above and the calculator shows both what each person pays and what is actually collected.
How much to tip: a quick reference
What a 15%, 18% and 20% tip comes to on the bills that come up most often, and the total to pay.
$50 bill
15% tip $7.50, total $57.50. 18% tip $9.00, total $59.00. 20% tip $10.00, total $60.00.
$75 bill
15% tip $11.25, total $86.25. 18% tip $13.50, total $88.50. 20% tip $15.00, total $90.00.
$100 bill
15% tip $15.00, total $115.00. 18% tip $18.00, total $118.00. 20% tip $20.00, total $120.00.
$150 bill
15% tip $22.50, total $172.50. 18% tip $27.00, total $177.00. 20% tip $30.00, total $180.00.
The tip percentage you choose matters less than choosing it deliberately. Card terminals increasingly suggest 25% and 30% on the post-tax total, which is a long way from the customary 15 to 20% on the bill before tax.
Who to tip, and roughly how much
Customs vary by country and by trade. In the US these are the usual expectations.
- Restaurant table service: 15 to 20% of the pre-tax bill, more for exceptional service or a large party that took the table all evening.
- Bartender: $1 to $2 a drink, or 15 to 20% of a tab.
- Delivery: 10 to 20%, with a few dollars minimum. The delivery fee usually goes to the platform rather than the driver.
- Hairdresser or barber: 15 to 20%, and separately for anyone who washed or assisted.
- Taxi and rideshare: 10 to 15%, rounding up for help with luggage.
- Trades and contractors: not customary. The equivalent is a fair price agreed in advance and paid on time.
Tipping, gratuities and invoices
If you invoice rather than take payment at a table, a few things change.
- A service charge added to an invoice is part of the price, is usually taxable, and belongs on its own line rather than hidden in the total.
- An automatic gratuity for large groups is a charge, not a tip, and should be stated before the meal rather than discovered on the bill.
- Tips paid by card usually reach staff through payroll, so they are taxed as income.
- For trades and services, an unexpected tip is rare: the equivalent is pricing the job properly in the first place.
If you are the one sending the bill, the invoice generator keeps service charges as their own line so the customer can see what they are paying for.
Tipping questions, answered
How much should I tip?
In US restaurants, 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax bill is the usual range, with 20 percent common for good table service. Counter service, delivery and bars all have their own customs, and outside the US the expectation is often much lower or already included.
How do I calculate a 20% tip in my head?
Move the decimal point one place left to get ten percent, then double it. On a $84 bill that is $8.40, so the tip is $16.80.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Customarily pre-tax, because sales tax is collected for the state rather than earned by the restaurant. On a $100 bill with 8.25 percent tax, a 20 percent tip is $20 pre-tax or $21.65 post-tax.
How do I split a bill evenly?
Divide the total including tip by the number of people, then round each share up to the nearest dollar. Rounding up means the collection always covers the bill, and the few cents over go to the tip rather than leaving someone short.
What if people ordered very different amounts?
Split by item rather than evenly. Even splitting is friendlier when the orders were similar and quietly unfair when they were not, particularly when some of the table did not drink.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
No. A service charge is set by the business and is part of the price, usually taxable, and does not always reach staff as a tip would. A tip is voluntary and discretionary.
Do I tip on a discounted bill?
On the pre-discount amount if the discount was a coupon or promotion, because the work was the same either way. Tipping on the reduced figure quietly passes the discount on to the server.
How much do I tip for delivery?
Commonly 10 to 20 percent, with a minimum of a few dollars on small orders, and more in bad weather or for long distances. Delivery fees usually go to the platform rather than the driver.
Should I tip on tax and service charge together?
If a service charge has already been added, an additional tip is optional and often unnecessary. Check the bill: the two are sometimes both present, which is how people end up tipping twice.
How do I split the bill and tip per person?
Set the number of people above and the calculator gives the per-head figure with the tip already included. Three people on a $118.48 total pay $40 each once shares are rounded upward, so $120 is collected and nobody is left covering a shortfall.
What is 18% of my bill?
Take ten percent by moving the decimal one place, then add most of another eight: on $85 that is $8.50 plus $6.80, or $15.30. The calculator does it exactly, including the split.
How much do I tip a bartender or hairdresser?
A dollar or two a drink for a bartender, or 15 to 20 percent of a tab. For a hairdresser or barber, 15 to 20 percent, tipped separately to anyone who washed or assisted.
Is the tip calculator free?
Yes. No signup and nothing uploaded: every figure is worked out in your browser and gone when you close the tab.