Free tip calculator
Enter your bill, pick a tip percentage, and set the party size to see the tip amount, the new total, and each person's share — no end-of-meal mental math. Whether you're leaving a standard 18% at dinner or splitting a group tab evenly, the numbers are updated live, as you type.
On this page12 sections
Standard US gratuity: 15% adequate, 18% good, 20%+ excellent service.
Results are estimates. Consult a professional.
What a tip calculator does
A tip calculator works out how much to tip and what each person owes in seconds. Enter the bill, choose a tip percentage, and set your party size — the calculator returns the tip amount, the new total, and the per-person share, all updated live as you type.
It removes the awkward mental math at the end of a meal. Instead of guessing 18% of $86.40 in your head or arguing over who owes what, you get an exact figure you can read straight off the screen. That makes it just as useful for splitting a group dinner as for checking a single coffee-shop tip.
How to calculate a tip
Calculating a tip is two short steps: find the tip itself, then add it to the bill. To split the result, divide the grand total by the number of people. This is exactly what the calculator does internally:
A fast mental shortcut for 20%: move the decimal one place left to get 10% of the bill, then double it. For 15%, take that 10% and add half of it again. The calculator handles the exact arithmetic, including any decimals, so you do not have to round in your head.
A worked example: splitting a $100 dinner
Four friends finish dinner with a $100 bill and want to leave a standard 18% tip, split evenly. Here is exactly how the tip calculator works through it.
Step 1 — Work out the tip amount
Multiply the bill by the tip percentage: $100 × (18 ÷ 100) = $100 × 0.18 = $18.00. That is the gratuity going to the server.
Step 2 — Add the tip to get the new total
Add the tip back onto the bill: $100 + $18 = $118.00. This grand total is what the table actually pays.
Step 3 — Split it across the party
Divide the grand total by the four diners: $118 ÷ 4 = $29.50 each. The calculator shows this per-person figure automatically the moment you set the party size.
Standard tip percentages by service
In the United States, 15–20% is the standard range for sit-down restaurant service, with 18% a common default and 20% reserved for attentive service. Other services have their own customs — some percentage-based, some a flat amount. The table below gathers the figures most etiquette guides agree on.
| Service | Customary tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 15–20% | 18% is a fair default; 20% for great service. Measure on the pre-tax subtotal. |
| Bartender | $1–$2 per drink, or 15–20% | Per-drink for simple orders; percentage for a running tab. |
| Food delivery | 10%+, or $2–$5 | Tip more in bad weather or for large orders; the delivery fee is not the tip. |
| Taxi / rideshare | 15–20% of the fare | Round up to the nearest dollar, with a $1 minimum. |
| Hairdresser / barber | 15–20% | Of the service price, before any product purchases. |
| Coffee shop / counter | Optional, $1 or round up | No obligation for over-the-counter service; tip for custom or large orders. |
| Hotel housekeeping | $2–$5 per night | Left daily, since staff may rotate. |
Customary US gratuities by service type. Sources: Emily Post Institute and U.S. News personal-finance tipping guides.
Tipping etiquette around the world
Tipping is far from universal. The 15–20% US norm is one of the highest in the world; in many countries a service charge is already built into the bill, and in a few, tipping is simply not done. Before you travel, check whether service is included and adjust the calculator's percentage accordingly.
| Country / region | Typical tip | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 15–20% | Expected for most table service; servers rely on tips for income. |
| Canada | 15–20% | Similar to the US, usually on the pre-tax amount. |
| United Kingdom | 10–12.5% | Often added as an optional service charge; check the bill before adding more. |
| France | Rounding up | Service is legally included ("service compris"); rounding up rewards great service. |
| Italy | Rounding up / 5% | A "coperto" cover charge is common; extra tipping is modest. |
| Japan | None | Tipping can be seen as rude; excellent service is the standard, not an extra. |
| Australia / NZ | Optional | Not expected; round up or leave 10% for exceptional service. |
Customs vary widely; figures are typical guidance. Source: Wikipedia list of tipping customs by country and SmarterTravel's Europe tipping guide.
Splitting the bill with a tip
When several people share a meal, the fairest approach is to tip on the whole bill, then divide the grand total evenly. The calculator does this for you: set the party size and it splits the bill-plus-tip total into equal shares.
- Add the tip first. Calculate the tip on the full bill so every person's share already includes gratuity.
- Divide the grand total. Split bill + tip across the party — for example, $118 ÷ 4 = $29.50 each.
- Round up if you like. Bumping each share to the next dollar avoids loose change and quietly nudges the tip a little higher.
For uneven shares — where people ordered very differently — split by what each person had, then add a proportional tip and tax. The dedicated split bill calculator handles group totals with tip and round-up built in.
Common tipping questions
Is 15%, 18%, or 20% the right tip?
All three are within the accepted US range for restaurants. 15% is the low end for ordinary service, 18% is a solid everyday default, and 20% rewards attentive service. For poor service, 10–15% with a quiet word to the manager is more constructive than leaving nothing.
Should I tip on the bill before or after tax?
Etiquette experts, including the Emily Post Institute, recommend tipping on the pre-tax subtotal, because sales tax goes to the government rather than the server. The difference is small — usually a dollar or two — so many people simply tip on the total shown.
Do I still tip when a service charge is added?
If a mandatory service charge or automatic gratuity is already on the bill (common for large parties or outside the US), no extra tip is required. You can add a little more for exceptional service, but check the bill first so you do not tip twice.
How this calculator works and sources
This tip calculator uses plain arithmetic — tip = bill × (percentage ÷ 100), total = bill + tip, and per person = total ÷ party size. The math runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you type is sent anywhere. The tipping percentages and etiquette guidance cited below come from established consumer-finance and etiquette sources.
The Emily Post Institute — General Tipping Guide (customary gratuities by service).U.S. News & World Report — Tipping Etiquette 101.Toast POS — Do You Tip on Tax? (pre-tax vs. post-tax tipping).Wikipedia — List of tipping customs by country.Frequently asked questions about the free tip calculator
About this tip calculator
This tip calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your bill amount, tip percentage, and party size are never sent anywhere — the tip, total, and per-person split are computed locally and update the instant you change a field.
Sorting out a group meal? Pair it with the split bill calculator for uneven shares. Browse the full everyday calculators shelf, or see every tool on the calculators index.