Tip & Bill Split Calculator

What this estimate assumes

• Tip is calculated on the pre-tax bill amount you enter — if your bill total already includes tax, the tip will be based on that total instead.
• Splits the total evenly across everyone; it doesn't itemize who ordered what.

How to use this calculator

1. Enter the total bill amount from the receipt in "Bill amount ($)" — either before or after tax, whichever number you want the tip based on.
2. Enter the tip percentage you want to leave in "Tip percentage (%)." 18-20% is typical for sit-down restaurant service in the US.
3. Enter how many people are splitting the bill in "Number of people."
4. Click "Split the bill" to see the total tip amount, the grand total, and exactly how much each person owes.
5. If the group changes mid-meal — someone leaves early, or another person joins — just update "Number of people" and recalculate; everything else stays the same.

Worked example

Say four friends go out to dinner and the bill comes to $86.40 before tip, and everyone agrees on a 20% tip.

Tip: $86.40 × 20% = $86.40 × 0.20 = $17.28.

Total: $86.40 + $17.28 = $103.68.

Per person: $103.68 ÷ 4 = $25.92.

Enter 86.40 for the bill, 20 for the tip percentage, and 4 for the number of people, and the calculator above will show that same $17.28 tip, $103.68 total, and $25.92 per person — that's exactly the math it runs behind the scenes. Note that $25.92 happens to land on a clean number here, but with other bills you might land on something like $25.926667; the calculator rounds each person's share to the nearest cent for display, so collecting the exact rounded amount from everyone can leave the total a penny or two off from the true grand total. Most groups just let whoever's covering the bill absorb a stray penny, or round everyone up slightly and treat the extra as a bit more tip.

Frequently asked questions

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

Etiquette guides lean toward tipping on the pre-tax amount, since sales tax isn't something your server controls. Practically speaking, many people just tip on whatever the receipt's total is for simplicity. Enter whichever number you want the tip calculated from.

What's a normal tip percentage in the US?

18-20% is the typical range for sit-down table service at a restaurant. 15% is on the lower end for average service, and 20%+ is common for excellent service. Counter service, delivery, and takeout usually warrant less, if anything.

What if people didn't order the same amount?

This calculator splits the total evenly, which works well for groups that are roughly ok sharing the cost regardless of who ordered what. If your group wants to pay for exactly what each person ordered, you'd need to split the bill by item instead of splitting it evenly — this tool doesn't itemize line items.

Does the number of people include whoever is paying the tip?

Yes — enter the total number of people splitting the bill, including yourself. If 5 people are at the table and all 5 are chipping in, enter 5.

Why does my per-person number have more than two decimal places?

Mathematically, splitting a bill rarely divides into an even number of cents. The result box rounds to the nearest cent for display, but if you want everyone to pay the exact same amount down to the penny, you may need to round one person's share up or down by a cent or two so the total still adds up correctly.

Can I use this for a bill that already includes a service charge?

Some restaurants (especially for large groups) automatically add an 18-20% "service charge" or "gratuity" to the bill. If that's already on your total, you likely don't need to add another tip on top — check your receipt and set the tip percentage to 0% in that case, or enter your bill amount before the service charge was added if you want to see what that built-in charge comes out to.