Tip Calculator
This tip calculator works out the tip amount and the total with tip for any bill, and splits the result between any number of people. Enter your bill, pick a tip percent (use the quick buttons or type your own), and choose how many ways to split it. Turn on rounding to bump each person's share up to the next whole dollar and see the effective tip percent you actually paid.
How Much Should You Tip?
Tipping in the US varies by service, but well-established norms exist for most everyday situations. At a sit-down restaurant, 15% to 20% of the pre-tax bill is the baseline, with 18% to 20% increasingly treated as the standard for good service. Counter service and takeout sit at the other end of the scale: tipping there is discretionary, and nothing to 10% is normal. For services priced per item or per night, a flat dollar amount often makes more sense than a percentage. The table below summarizes the common ranges so you can set the right percent before you calculate.
| Service | Typical tip |
|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 15-20% (18-20% increasingly standard) |
| Food delivery | 10-15%, with a $3-5 minimum |
| Bartender | $1-2 per drink, or 15-20% of the tab |
| Hair salon / spa | 15-20% |
| Taxi / rideshare | 10-15% |
| Hotel housekeeping | $2-5 per night |
| Counter service / takeout | 0-10%, at your discretion |
Mental Math Tricks
You can estimate a tip in your head faster than you can unlock your phone. Everything starts from 10%: just move the decimal point one place to the left. On a $64.00 bill, 10% is $6.40. From there, 20% is simply double the 10% figure, so $12.80 on that same bill.
For 15%, take 10% and add half of it again: $6.40 plus $3.20 gives $9.60. And for 18%, a neat shortcut is to compute 20% and then subtract a tenth of that number, since 18 is 20 minus 2: $12.80 minus $1.28 leaves about $11.50. None of these need to be exact. Rounding the bill to a friendly number first ($64 to $65, say) keeps the arithmetic painless, and being within a few cents of the true percentage is more than close enough. When the bill is split or you want exact figures, let the calculator above do the work.
Tipping Outside the US
American tipping percentages do not travel well, and applying them abroad can mean paying far more than locals would. In much of Europe, a service charge is often included in the bill or service staff are paid a full wage, so the custom is simply to round up the total or leave 5% to 10% for good service rather than a US-style 20%. In Japan and South Korea, tipping is not customary at all and can even cause confusion or polite refusal; excellent service is considered part of the job.
Wherever you are, read the bill before adding anything: a line such as "service charge," "service compris," or "gratuity included" means the tip is already built in. When in doubt, ask whether service is included, or follow what locals at nearby tables do. For more everyday tools like this one, browse our full collection of free calculators.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 20% tip on a $50 bill is $10, for a total of $60. The quick way to get there: 10% of $50 is $5 (move the decimal one place left), and 20% is double that.
Traditional etiquette says to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, and that is always acceptable. Many people simply tip on the final total for convenience, which works out slightly more generous. On a typical bill the difference is small, often under a dollar, so either approach is fine.
Add the tip to the bill first, then divide the total by the number of people. For example, a $80 bill with a 20% tip ($16) comes to $96, or $24 per person for a group of four. This calculator does the math for you and can round each share up to the next whole dollar.
Yes. At a sit-down restaurant, 15% remains an acceptable tip for adequate service, although 18% to 20% has become the standard in much of the US, especially in larger cities. Reserve tips below 15% for genuinely poor service, and tip 20% or more for excellent service.
Generally no. If the bill shows a service charge or automatic gratuity (common for large groups), the tip is already covered, so an additional tip is optional. Some people add a few extra dollars for exceptional service. Always read the bill line by line so you do not tip twice.