How to use the tip calculator
Enter the pre-tip total from the receipt. Pick a tip percentage. Enter the number of people at the table if you want a per-person number.
The calculator returns three numbers: the tip amount, the final total including tip, and each person's share if you're splitting evenly.
What percentage should you tip?
Tipping norms vary by country and by service type. In the US, the current defaults for dine-in restaurants are:
- 15% — standard for adequate service, considered a floor by many diners
- 18% — common baseline; the number most restaurants suggest on the check
- 20% — standard for good service, and the number many people now use as their default
- 22–25% — for great service, small tabs where 20% feels low, or in high-cost-of-living cities
For counter service, coffee shops, and takeout, tipping is common but expected percentages are lower (often $1–$3 flat, or 10–15% for larger orders).
Should you tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total?
Either is fine. Pre-tax is technically more accurate — you're tipping the server for the food and service, not for the state collecting sales tax. Post-tax is easier because it's the number printed at the bottom of the check. The difference is usually a dollar or two, and no server has ever complained about a slightly larger tip.
Automatic gratuity and service fees
Many restaurants add automatic gratuity (18–20%) to large parties. If gratuity is already on the check, you don't need to add another tip on top unless the service was exceptional. If a separate "service fee" is on the check, ask the server whether it goes to the staff or to the house — some are gratuity, some aren't.
When to use a more precise split
This calculator splits the total evenly across the number of people you enter. If your group ordered very different amounts, an even split can be unfair — the person who ordered the least pays for the person who ordered the most.
For that case, use the proportional split calculator, or the full BillSplitterApp home page for an itemized split where each person only pays for what they ordered.