Working out the tip
A tip is a percentage of the bill, so the arithmetic is straightforward — but doing it in your head after a meal, then dividing between several people, is exactly the situation where people get it wrong or spend far too long trying.
This calculator handles both steps and shows the per-person figure, including how much of that is tip, which is useful when someone wants to contribute only their share of the food.
Tipping conventions vary enormously
There is no universal standard, and assuming your home convention applies abroad causes both offence and awkwardness in either direction.
In the United States, tipping is effectively obligatory in restaurants because tipped staff are often paid a sub-minimum wage that assumes tips will make up the difference. Fifteen to twenty percent is the usual range, with twenty increasingly treated as standard for adequate service.
Across most of Europe, service is generally included and tipping is a smaller gesture — rounding up, or around five to ten percent for good service. In Japan and South Korea, tipping is not customary and can be received as awkward or even insulting. In India, ten percent is common in restaurants where service is not already added.
When travelling, checking local convention is worth two minutes. Over-tipping in a non-tipping culture is not generous; it is confusing.
Before or after tax
Convention in the United States is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, though many people simply use the total, which produces a slightly larger tip. Neither is wrong. Where a service charge has already been added — common for larger groups — an additional tip is not expected.
Always check the bill for an existing service charge before adding a tip, since paying twice is easy to do without noticing.
Splitting fairly
An even split is simplest and works when everyone ordered roughly comparably. It becomes contentious when one person had a starter and three drinks and another had a salad and tap water.
The usual compromise is to split the tip and tax evenly while paying for your own items, which most people find fair. Whatever the group decides, agreeing before the bill arrives avoids the more awkward conversation afterwards.
The rounding option
Rounding the total up to a whole number is common practice and makes the payment tidier, particularly with cash. The calculator recalculates the effective tip percentage when you round, so you can see what you are actually leaving.
Calculated in your browser
Everything happens locally and no amounts are transmitted or stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I tip?
It depends entirely on the country. Fifteen to twenty percent in the United States, five to ten in much of Europe where service is often included, and nothing in Japan where tipping is not customary.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Convention in the United States is pre-tax, though many people use the total. The difference is small and either is acceptable.
What if a service charge is already included?
An additional tip is not expected. Always check the bill, since paying twice is easy to do without noticing.
What is the fairest way to split a bill?
An even split works when orders are comparable. Otherwise, paying for your own items while splitting tax and tip evenly is the usual compromise.
Are my amounts stored?
No. All calculation happens in your browser and nothing is transmitted.