Tip Calculator — gratuity, total & split per person

How it works

It is percent-of-a-base arithmetic, the same operation as sales tax or a commission: tip = bill × rate, then total = bill + tip. When a group splits the check, the per-person amount is the total divided by the number of people — dividing the total, not just the bill, so the tip is shared along with the meal. The comparison shows several common tip rates on your bill at once, turning an abstract "18% vs 20%" into the couple of dollars it actually is. The page does not recommend a rate — what is customary varies by place and service, and that is a judgment, not a calculation.

Worked example

The method is the percent-of-base calculation LibreTexts publishes — the same arithmetic that makes a 3% commission on $260,000 come to $7,800, or 35% off $140 come to $49. Applied to a restaurant bill: an 18% tip on $50 is $50 × 0.18 = $9, a $59 total. Split four ways on a $200 bill at 20%, the $240 total is $60 each: this calculator's own arithmetic of the same method.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate a tip?

Multiply the bill by the tip rate: an 18% tip on $50 is $9. Add it to the bill for the total ($59). It's the same percent-of-a-base calculation as sales tax — only the rate and what it's applied to differ.

Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total?

Either is common; tipping on the pre-tax bill is the stricter convention, since the tax isn't part of the service. This page tips on the amount you enter, so enter the pre-tax subtotal to tip on that, or the post-tax figure to tip on the whole check. The difference is the tip on the tax — usually a dollar or two.

How does splitting the bill work?

The total including tip is divided by the number of people, so each share covers an equal part of both the meal and the gratuity. If people ordered very different amounts, an even split overcharges the light eaters — the split-bill calculator handles uneven shares.

What tip rate should I use?

That's a personal and cultural decision this page won't make for you — customs differ by country, venue, and service quality. The comparison shows 15%, 18%, 20%, and 25% on your bill so you can see each in dollars and choose; the calculator applies whatever rate you set.

Why is the per-person amount more than I expected?

Because it includes each person's share of the tip, not just the food. A $200 bill split four ways is $50 of food each, but at a 20% tip the per-person total is $60 — the extra $10 is the shared gratuity. The total, not the bill, is what gets divided.

Does this handle a fixed-dollar tip instead of a percentage?

No — it computes a percentage tip. For a flat dollar tip, add it to the bill directly; the page's value is turning a percentage into dollars and splitting the result, which is where the arithmetic is easy to get wrong under social pressure.

How accurate is this, and what does it exclude?

The arithmetic is exact for the bill, rate, and party size entered. It excludes any automatic gratuity a venue adds for large parties (don't tip on top of that), rounding to a whole dollar, and uneven splits. For a check where people owe different amounts, use the split-bill calculator.