Calculate tip amount and split the bill among any number of people. Works for restaurants, delivery, hotels, and any service.
This free tip calculator tells you exactly how much to tip, the total bill including gratuity, and each person's share when splitting — all updating live as you type. Whether you're at a restaurant and want to quickly verify the 20% before you hand over your card, splitting a large group dinner among six people, calculating a delivery tip, or working out what to leave your hotel housekeeper, this calculator gives you a clean, instant answer in seconds.
Tipping math is simple in principle but surprisingly easy to get wrong in the moment — especially when splitting a bill among a group with different ordered amounts, or when you're trying to calculate 18% quickly in your head after a long dinner. The quick-select tip percentage buttons cover the most common scenarios, and you can type any custom percentage for situations that call for something different. Results update instantly without pressing Calculate.
Type the total from your receipt. You can enter either the pre-tax subtotal (what most etiquette guides recommend for calculating tips) or the post-tax total (slightly more generous and simpler). The difference on a typical bill is small — see the FAQ below for a full breakdown of both approaches.
Use the quick-select buttons for the most common percentages — 10%, 15%, 18%, 20%, 25%, 30% — or type any value in the custom field. The buttons update the percentage field and recalculate immediately. In the US, 18–20% is the current standard for good sit-down restaurant service. The 20% button is the fastest option at most meals.
The default is 1 person (the full bill for you). If you're splitting with friends, change this to the number of people paying. The calculator divides the full total (including tip) equally among everyone and shows both the per-person total and the per-person tip amount.
All four results update instantly: bill amount, tip amount, total bill, and per person amount. No button press required — change any value and results update in real time. When splitting, each person sees exactly what to pay including their share of the tip.
Tipping customs vary significantly by country, service type, and context. Here is a comprehensive reference for the most common tipping situations.
| Service | US Standard | UK Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 18–20% (good), 20–25% (excellent) | 10–12.5% | Check for automatic gratuity on large parties |
| Bar / Bartender | $1–2 per drink or 15–20% of tab | Not expected; rounding up is nice | Pre-tip the bartender at a busy bar for better service |
| Food delivery | 15–20%; minimum $3–5 | 10–15% | Tip more in bad weather or for long distances |
| Takeout / Pickup | 10–15% (optional but appreciated) | Not expected | Small amounts still appreciated at independent restaurants |
| Coffee shop / Café | $0.50–$1 per drink or 10–15% | Not expected | Counter service; discretionary |
| Hair salon / Barber | 15–20% | 10–15% | Tip the stylist who did the service, not the receptionist |
| Taxi / Rideshare | 15–20% | Round up; 10% for longer trips | Uber/Lyft prompts in-app; cash tips always appreciated |
| Hotel housekeeping | $2–5/night (standard), $5–10/night (suite) | Not expected; £1–2 is kind | Leave daily, not at checkout; different staff each day |
| Hotel bellhop / Porter | $1–2 per bag | £1–2 per bag | More for heavy or awkward luggage |
| Valet parking | $2–5 when retrieving car | Not standard | Tip at retrieval, not drop-off |
| Spa / Massage | 15–20% | 10–15% | Often charged to the room at hotels; verify if tip is included |
| Tour guide | $5–20 per person depending on tour length | £2–5 per person | Group tours warrant per-person tips; private tours 15–20% |
Understanding why tips exist and what they mean economically helps frame appropriate tipping as both a social obligation and a practical one, not just etiquette for etiquette's sake.
The United States has a federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 per hour — a rate that has not increased since 1991. Employers of tipped workers are legally permitted to pay this sub-minimum wage with the expectation that tips will bring total compensation to at least the regular federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour. When tips fall short of that gap, employers are technically required to make up the difference — but enforcement is inconsistent and wage theft in the restaurant industry is well-documented.
In practice, most restaurant servers depend heavily on tips for their livable income. A server working a busy Saturday night shift might earn excellent tips; a slow Tuesday lunch shift at the same restaurant might yield minimal tips at the same hourly "wage." Tips fund a server's rent, groceries, and healthcare — which is why the standard tip percentage has drifted upward over decades from 10–15% to 18–20%.
The UK and most of Europe handle service industry compensation differently. In the UK, servers typically earn at or above the National Minimum Wage (£11.44/hour as of April 2024) without dependence on tips. A 10–12.5% tip is standard at sit-down restaurants but is genuinely optional rather than quasi-mandatory as in the US. Some UK restaurants add an optional "discretionary service charge" of 12.5% to bills — you can legally ask for this to be removed if service was poor, though most people pay it.
In many European countries — France, Germany, Spain, Italy — tipping is more modest (rounding up to the nearest euro or 5–10% at most) because service staff earn full wages. In Japan and South Korea, tipping is culturally inappropriate and can cause offence. When travelling, always research local tipping customs before arriving.
Many restaurants automatically add 18–20% gratuity (also called mandatory gratuity or compulsory service charge) for parties of 6 or more. This appears as a line item on your bill. In the US, the IRS classifies automatic gratuity as a service charge (not a tip), meaning it's subject to payroll taxes and may be distributed to all staff rather than just your server.
Before adding an additional tip on top of automatic gratuity, check your receipt carefully. Adding 20% on top of an already-applied 20% service charge means you're tipping 44% total — probably not your intention. If automatic gratuity is present and service was excellent, adding a small additional cash tip directly to the server is an appreciated gesture. If service was poor, you can speak to a manager about the automatic gratuity — but in most US jurisdictions it is legally enforceable as part of the stated bill.
| Method | Speed | Accuracy | Group Splitting | Mobile Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This Calculator | ✅ Instant | ✅ Exact to the cent | ✅ Any number of people | ✅ Optimised for mobile |
| Mental maths (20% shortcut) | ✅ Fast | ⚠️ Approximate | ❌ Difficult for groups | ✅ No phone needed |
| Restaurant receipt calculation | ⚠️ Medium | ✅ If done carefully | ❌ Error-prone | ❌ Pen needed |
| Phone native calculator | ⚠️ Multiple steps | ✅ Exact | ❌ Multiple calculations | ✅ Always available |
| Splitwise / bill-splitting apps | ⚠️ Requires setup | ✅ Exact | ✅ Item-level splitting | ✅ Yes (app required) |
Divide the total bill including tip equally among all diners. This works well when everyone ordered similarly — similar number of dishes, similar price range, shared appetizers. It's the default for most social dining situations because it avoids the awkwardness of itemising everyone's order. This calculator does equal splitting automatically: enter the number of people and the total divides equally.
Each person pays for exactly what they ordered, plus a proportional share of any shared items (appetizers, desserts, bottles of wine). This is the fairest method when one person ordered a $12 salad and another ordered a $38 steak and two cocktails — an equal split in that scenario asks the salad person to subsidise the steak person significantly. The downside is the friction of itemising the bill, which can create awkward moments.
A common approach in the digital payment era: one person puts the full bill on their card (often earning rewards points), then sends payment requests to the group via Venmo, PayPal, or bank transfer. Calculate the per-person amount here, then confirm with the group before sending requests. This approach is convenient but requires the payer to trust they'll actually get paid back promptly.
Each person pays a percentage of the total proportional to what their items cost relative to the overall bill. If Person A's items were 40% of the pre-tip total and Person B's were 60%, they pay 40% and 60% of the full bill including tip respectively. This method is mathematically fairest for mixed orders but requires knowing the pre-tip subtotal for each person's items. Useful for business dinners where precise splitting matters.
| Country | Restaurant Tip | Taxi | Hotel | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18–20% expected | 15–20% | $2–5/night housekeeping | Tipping is quasi-mandatory; servers earn $2.13/hr base |
| United Kingdom | 10–12.5% (optional) | Round up | Not expected; rounding up appreciated | Service charge often already included in bill |
| Canada | 15–20% | 15% | $2–3/night | Similar to US; important for service workers |
| Australia | 0–10% (optional) | Not expected | Not expected | Minimum wage is high; tipping is appreciated but optional |
| France | Round up or 5–10% | Round up | Not expected | Service (15%) is legally included in all restaurant prices |
| Germany | 5–10%; round up | Round up 10% | €1–2 for exceptional service | Say the amount you want to pay when paying |
| Japan | Never — considered rude | Never | Never | Service pride makes tipping an insult in Japanese culture |
| UAE / Gulf | 10–15% if not included | 10% | 10–15% | Service charge often added; verify before additional tip |
| Pakistan / India | 10% at formal restaurants | Round up | Small amounts for porters | Tipping widely practised at urban restaurants; discretionary |
Always check your receipt for a service charge or gratuity line before adding a tip. Adding 20% on top of an existing 20% service charge means you're paying 44% total service fees. Check the receipt line by line before calculating your additional tip.
Servers don't control food preparation, kitchen speed, or ingredient quality. If your food arrived cold because the kitchen was slow, reducing the tip punishes the wrong person. If the server was inattentive, unapologetic, or rude, that's within their control. Tip based on service quality — things the server could actually influence.
Hotel housekeeping tips are often left at checkout, but the staff member who cleaned your room on the last day is frequently not the same person who cleaned it on previous days. Leave cash daily with a note indicating it's for housekeeping, so each staff member who cleaned your room benefits.
Many European restaurants include a service charge, but not all. Some add an optional "discretionary service charge" which is clearly labelled; others include nothing. Always check the bill and the restaurant's menu — service inclusions are usually noted in small print. When in doubt, a small additional tip for good service is always welcome.
Standard tip percentages don't fully account for driving in a blizzard, climbing four flights of stairs, dealing with difficult parking, or navigating a confusing apartment complex at 10 PM. When conditions are challenging or the driver went above expectations, add a few extra dollars beyond the standard percentage.
In the US, 18–20% is the current standard for good service at a sit-down restaurant. Exceptional service warrants 20–25%. For poor service that was clearly the server's fault (not the kitchen's), 10–15% is acceptable. In the UK, 10–12.5% is standard. In most of Europe, rounding up or 5–10% is typical. In Japan, tipping is not practised.
Most etiquette guidelines recommend tipping on the pre-tax subtotal. However, calculating on the post-tax total is slightly more generous and simpler — both approaches are widely practised and accepted. The difference on a $60 meal with 8% tax is about $0.96 on a 20% tip. Either approach is fine; the important thing is tipping appropriately.
For roughly equal orders, use this calculator to split the total equally. For significantly unequal orders, calculate each person's share separately by totalling their items and applying the tip percentage. Payment apps like Splitwise allow item-level splitting where each person is charged exactly for what they ordered plus their proportional share of shared items.
15–20% of the order total is standard, with a minimum of $3–5 regardless of order size. Tip generously in bad weather, for long delivery distances, apartment deliveries with stairs, or when the driver was particularly prompt and courteous. Remember that delivery app workers often earn low base pay and depend on tips for their income.
Automatic gratuity is a tip percentage — typically 18–20% — automatically added to bills for large parties (usually 6+). It appears as a line item on your receipt. It is generally expected that you pay it. Always check your receipt before adding an additional tip on top, as the gratuity line may already cover standard tipping amounts.
$2–5 per night for a standard room; $5–10 per night for suites or high-end hotels. Leave cash daily with a note saying "Housekeeping" because different staff may clean your room each day. Checkout-day tips often only reach the last person — daily tipping ensures everyone who cleaned your room benefits.
Tipping is not legally mandatory (except when automatic gratuity has been added) but is strongly socially expected in most service contexts. US servers typically earn $2.13/hour base wage with tips expected to cover the rest of their income. In practice, not tipping at a restaurant is considered poor etiquette and causes direct financial harm to your server.
15–20% of the service cost is standard. For a $50 haircut, a $10 tip (20%) is appropriate. For an excellent cut, squeeze-in appointment, or particularly complex service, 20–25% is a generous acknowledgement. Most stylists are either booth renters or commission earners, and tips represent a meaningful portion of their take-home income.
Tipping on takeout is increasingly common though still discretionary. A 10–15% tip acknowledges the work of packaging your order, checking it for accuracy, and having it ready on time. At small independent restaurants where margins are thin and staff work hard, even a small takeout tip matters. It's not obligatory, but it's appreciated.
20% of $100 is $20, making the total $120. Quick mental shortcut for 20%: move the decimal one place left to get 10% ($10), then double it ($20). For 15%: find 10% ($10) and add half ($5) = $15 tip, $115 total. For 18%: find 20% ($20) and subtract 10% of the 20% figure ($2) = $18 tip, $118 total.