How much should you tip?
In the United States, 15% is considered a modest tip for table service, 18% to 20% is standard for good service, and 25% or more rewards something exceptional. Counter service, delivery, and large parties often follow different norms — some restaurants add an automatic gratuity of 18% for groups of six or more, so check your receipt before adding a tip on top.
Tipping on the total or subtotal
Whether you tip on the pre-tax subtotal or the post-tax total is a matter of preference. Tipping on the subtotal is slightly more common and is what most etiquette guides suggest, since tax is not part of the service. On a typical bill the difference is only a dollar or two, so either approach is perfectly reasonable. This calculator tips on the amount you enter, so type the subtotal if that is your preference. If you need the tax on a purchase, the sales tax calculator adds it by state.
Splitting the bill fairly
An even split is fastest when everyone ordered roughly the same. If one person had a much pricier meal, consider splitting the tip evenly while covering individual items separately, or simply round each share up to the nearest dollar to keep things simple. The per-person figure here divides the full total equally, which is the fairest default for shared plates and casual outings. For any other share of a total, the percentage calculator does the math.
More worked examples
Splitting a dinner four ways: the bill is $86.40 and the table agrees on 18%. Enter 86.40, choose 18% and split between 4 people. The tip comes to $15.55 and the total to $101.95, so each person owes $25.49, of which $3.89 is their share of the tip.
The same dinner with Round up each share turned on: every share becomes $26.00 and the table pays $104.00 in total. The tip grows to $17.60, which the result panel reports as an effective 20.4% tip, because rounding is added on top of the 18% you chose.
Tax excluded versus included: suppose the food is an $80.00 subtotal and the check comes to $86.40 after tax. A 20% tip on the subtotal is $16.00, for a total of $96.00. Tipping 20% on the tax-included $86.40 gives $17.28 and a total of $103.68. Enter whichever figure matches the convention you want; the calculator tips on the bill amount you type.
When to use this calculator
Use it at the table when a group splits a check evenly, when you want to see what 15%, 18%, 20% or 25% means in dollars before you sign, or when you prefer each person to pay a round number. It also works for delivery, rideshare and salon tips: enter the bill, pick a percentage and leave the split at 1.
Common mistakes
Entering the tax-included total when you meant to tip on the subtotal, or the reverse, is the most common source of disagreement; decide first, then type that number. Forgetting to change Split between back to 1 after a group dinner is another. Finally, remember that rounding up raises the effective tip: check the percentage in the result panel if you want to stay close to your chosen rate. Splitting evenly also assumes everyone ordered about the same; for very different orders, run the calculator once per person with their own subtotal.