Tip calculator with bill splitting and rounding
Enter the bill, choose a tip percentage and the number of people, and get the tip, the total and each share to the penny. Rounding options let you round the tip to a whole unit, round the total up, or round each person’s share up so nobody has to find coins — and the calculator shows what that does to the effective tip percentage.
How to use the Tip Calculator
- Enter the bill total as printed, before any tip.
- Set the tip percentage and how many people are splitting it.
- Choose a rounding rule if you want tidy numbers.
- Press Calculate tip to see the tip, the total and the per-person share.
The arithmetic
The tip is a percentage of the bill and the total is the two added together:
tip = bill × rate ÷ 100 and total = bill + tip, then share = total ÷ people.
Worked example: a bill of £86.40 with a 12.5% tip gives 86.40 × 0.125 = £10.80, a total of £97.20, and £24.30 each between four people. Choose "round each share up" and everyone pays £25, the total becomes £100 and the tip quietly rises to £13.60 — an effective 15.7%. Rounding is convenient, but it is never free, which is why the calculator always shows the effective percentage after rounding.
A quick way to do it in your head
Ten percent is the decimal point moved one place: £86.40 becomes £8.64. Half of that is 5%, so 15% is £8.64 + £4.32 = £12.96, and 12.5% is £8.64 plus a quarter of £8.64 (£2.16) = £10.80. For 20%, take 10% and double it.
Tipping customs differ, a lot
| Where | Usual practice |
|---|---|
| United States | Tipping is a large part of server pay; 15–20% in restaurants is customary, and the tip is usually calculated on the pre-tax bill |
| United Kingdom | Many restaurants add a discretionary service charge, commonly 12.5%. If it is on the bill, there is no expectation to add more — and it can be asked to be removed |
| Much of Europe | Service is often included; rounding up or leaving small change is common |
| Japan | Tipping is not customary and can cause confusion |
Check the bill before you add anything: paying a percentage tip on top of an already-added service charge means tipping twice.
Splitting fairly
Dividing the total equally is the simplest approach and the one used here. If one person had the lobster and another had soup, split the items first and apply the same tip percentage to each subtotal — the percentage is the fair part, the amount follows from what each person ordered. When the split does not divide evenly, someone has to absorb a penny; the rounding options exist so that this is decided deliberately rather than by argument.
If you are tipping in cash on a card payment, remember the card total shown here includes the tip only if you entered it that way.
Frequently asked questions
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total?
In the United States the custom is to tip on the pre-tax amount, though many people tip on the total for simplicity. Enter whichever figure you want the percentage applied to.
Do I need to tip if a service charge is added?
Usually not. A discretionary service charge of around 12.5% is common in UK restaurants and is intended to serve as the tip. Adding a percentage on top means tipping twice.
How does rounding change the tip?
It raises or lowers it. The calculator recomputes the effective tip percentage after any rounding so you can see exactly what you are leaving.
How do I work out 15% in my head?
Take 10% by moving the decimal point one place left, halve that for 5%, and add the two together.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly and the Canvas/File APIs. Your files are never uploaded to ToolFlint or any third party; you can verify this in your browser's network tab or by switching to airplane mode after the page loads. Read how we process files.
Last updated 2026-09-23.