Dinner's done, the check has landed, and everyone's looking at you. This tip calculator works out the tip, the grand total, and exactly what each person owes when you split the bill — instantly, with no napkin math.
How much should you tip?
In the US, 15–20% is customary for table service, with 20% the norm for good service and more for exceptional care. Takeout is typically ~10% or a couple of dollars; delivery 10–15% with a sensible minimum; bartenders $1–2 a drink or 15–20% of the tab. Norms differ abroad — much of Europe tips 5–10% or rounds up, while Japan generally doesn't tip at all.
How the calculation works
The tip is simply the bill multiplied by the tip percentage; the total is bill plus tip; and the per-person share divides that total evenly. Worked example: a $84 dinner with an 18% tip adds $15.12, for a total of $99.12 — split four ways, $24.78 each.
Pre-tax or post-tax?
Etiquette guides generally say the tip is on the pre-tax subtotal, but many people tip on the total for speed — on a typical bill the difference is small. Enter whichever amount you prefer; the math works the same.
Splitting the bill fairly
An even split is the fast, friendly default this calculator uses. For very uneven orders, some groups split by item — but for most meals, evenness beats accounting. Tap a preset percentage or drag the slider, set the party size, and the totals update live. Buying something on sale first? Get the real price with the discount calculator and add tax with the sales tax calculator.
Tipping outside the US
The 15–20% norm is distinctly American — export it carefully. In Japan and South Korea tipping can read as rude; in much of Western Europe a service charge is already on the bill and rounding up is plenty; in the UK 10–12.5% appears as an optional "service charge" you may decline; Canada tracks US habits, while Australia and New Zealand treat tips as genuinely optional thanks. The pattern behind the etiquette: where staff earn full wages, tips are a bonus; where a tipped minimum wage exists (the US), tips are the wage. When traveling, five minutes of local research beats any universal percentage.