Tip Calculator
Financial Calculators
Calculate tip, total, and per-person split with optional pre-tax tipping and cash rounding. Live results work offline in your browser.
Tax & tip base
Enter the tax line already included in the bill amount.
The bill amount should include tax when you use the pre-tax option.
Enter a bill amount to get started.
How to use this tool
- Enter the bill amount. Type the amount due before tip. By default, the calculator tips on that full amount. Open Tax & tip base to enter sales tax already included in the bill and tip on the pre-tax subtotal instead.
- Set the tip percentage. Use the quick buttons (15%, 18%, 20%, 25%) or type a custom percentage. The tip amount and total update immediately.
- Split the bill (optional). Enter the number of people. The per-person amount appears. Toggle "Round up" to get whole-dollar amounts that are easier to settle with cash.
How to use the tip calculator
Enter the bill amount from your check. The tip and total update immediately as you type. Use the quick buttons to jump to 15%, 18%, 20%, or 25%, or type any number in the tip field for custom percentages like 22% or 12.5%. The default tip basis is the full bill amount, matching the calculator's original behavior.
For group meals, set the number of people and the per-person amount appears below. If the bill includes sales tax, open Tax & tip base and enter the tax line. You can then choose to calculate the tip on the full amount or subtract the included tax first. The optional tax field expects a dollar amount already included in the bill; it does not estimate a local tax rate.
Check "round up" if you want whole-dollar amounts that are easier to hand over in cash. Each person's share is rounded upward, so the group may pay more than the bill plus the selected tip. When that happens, the calculator shows the group total and the extra amount.
How tip is calculated
The math is three steps:
- Tip amount = tip basis × (tip% ÷ 100). By default, the tip basis is the full bill: on a $50 check at 18%, $50 × 0.18 = $9. With pre-tax tipping, the basis is the bill minus the sales tax already included in it.
- Total = bill + tip. $50 + $9 = $59.
- Per person = total ÷ number of people. $59 ÷ 4 = $14.75 each; with round-up, $15 each.
Tip and total use the entered amounts without rounding to whole dollars; currency formatting displays them to the currency's usual precision. The optional per-person round-up is different: it deliberately raises each share to the next whole dollar, and the amount collected above the calculated total is shown as extra tip.
Standard tip percentages by service
- 10%: Below standard; for genuinely poor service or in countries where tipping is not customary.
- 15%: Baseline in the US for acceptable service; was the longtime standard before inflation-era price increases shifted expectations upward.
- 18–20%: Current norm for good table service at US restaurants. Most digital tip prompts default here for a reason.
- 20–25%: Good service at a sit-down restaurant, or any service where you want to go above baseline. Also standard for delivery.
- Bartenders: $1–2 per drink, or 15–20% on the tab.
- Hotel housekeeping: $2–5 per night; leave it daily since staff often rotates.
- Taxi / rideshare: 10–20%; most apps prompt automatically.
Tipping etiquette by country
| Country | Restaurant tip norm | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 18–20% | Expected; servers earn below minimum wage in most states |
| Canada | 15–20% | Similar culture to US |
| United Kingdom | 10–15% | Optional but appreciated; check if service charge already added |
| Australia | 0–10% | Not expected; hospitality workers earn living wage |
| Germany / Austria | 5–10% or round up | Common but modest; rounding the bill to a round number is standard |
| France | 5–10% | Service compris often included in price; extra is appreciated |
| Japan | 0% | Tipping is considered rude; exceptional service is expected as standard |
| South Korea | 0% | Generally not practiced |
Pre-tax vs. post-tax tipping
Etiquette guides traditionally recommend tipping on the pre-tax bill amount. In practice, many people use the total on the check (post-tax). For example, a $50 subtotal plus $4 tax makes a $54 bill: a 20% tip is $10 on the subtotal or $10.80 on the full amount, a $0.80 difference. Either approach is socially acceptable. Enter $54 as the bill, enter $4 as sales tax, then select Bill less included tax (pre-tax) to calculate the lower tip.
Tipping on delivery fees
Delivery fees charged by platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub typically go to the platform - not the delivery driver. The driver is compensated separately through their own tip. Best practices:
- Tip the delivery driver 10–15% of the food subtotal, or a flat $2–5 minimum for small orders.
- The service fee is not a gratuity. Paying a high service fee does not replace tipping the driver.
- Some apps show "suggested tip" amounts that go entirely to the driver.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I tip at a restaurant?
15% is the floor for adequate service. 18–20% is the norm for good service in the US. 25%+ for exceptional service or if the staff went out of their way. On takeout, 10–15% is common but less expected. These are US norms - customs vary significantly in other countries.
How do I calculate tip on a $42 bill?
For 18% tip: multiply $42 × 0.18 = $7.56 tip, making the total $49.56. This calculator does that automatically - enter 42 in the bill field and the result updates immediately.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
On a $50 pre-tax bill with $4 tax, a 20% tip is $10 on the pre-tax subtotal or $10.80 on the $54 post-tax total - a difference of $0.80. Enter the tax included in your bill and choose whether to tip on the full bill or the bill less tax. Either approach is socially acceptable.
What does the round-up toggle do?
When splitting a bill, round-up raises each person's share to the next whole dollar. The calculator shows the resulting group total and how much it exceeds the calculated total; that extra amount goes toward the tip.