How the tip is worked out
The tip is a percentage of the bill. Add it to the bill for the total, and divide by the number of people for each share. When you round shares up to whole dollars, the extra cents are added to the tip, so the server gets a little more and the calculator reports the resulting effective rate.
The formulas
Tip = bill × tip% / 100 Total = bill + tip Per person = total / people Rounded: per person = ⌈total / people⌉, tip = per person × people − bill
Worked example
A $85.50 dinner for three with an 18% tip: 85.50 × 0.18 = $15.39 tip, for a total of $100.89, or $33.63 each.
Rounding each share up to $34 makes the total $102.00 and the tip $16.50 — an effective 19.3%.
Notes
- Enter the pre-tax subtotal if you prefer to tip only on food and drink.
- Shares are split evenly; for itemized splits, run the calculator once per person with their own subtotal.
- Amounts are rounded to the cent for display. Without rounding up, three shares of $33.63 total $100.89 exactly here, but some splits leave a one-cent difference.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I tip in the U.S.?
For table service at a sit-down restaurant, 15–20% of the pre-tax bill is the common range, with 18–20% typical for good service in many cities. Delivery, bars, salons and rideshares have their own norms. Tipping is customary rather than required, but servers' base pay is often below minimum wage on the expectation of tips.
Should I tip on the total before or after tax?
Etiquette guides generally say the pre-tax amount, since tax isn't part of the service. Enter the subtotal before tax if you want to follow that rule; many people tip on the total for simplicity, which adds a little.
What does "round up each share" do?
It rounds every person's share up to the next whole dollar, so nobody has to deal with cents. The extra goes to the tip, and the calculator shows the effective tip percentage after rounding.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
Not necessarily. A service charge or automatic gratuity added by the restaurant, often for large groups, may or may not go to staff. Check the bill before adding a tip on top.
How do I calculate 20% quickly in my head?
Move the decimal point one place left to get 10%, then double it. On $64.50, 10% is $6.45, so 20% is $12.90. For 15%, add half of the 10% figure: $6.45 + $3.23 = $9.68.