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Tip Calculator

The math is simple — tip = bill × %⁄100 — but at the table you are juggling a percentage, a split, and the urge to land on a round number, usually with people waiting. This calculator does all three at once: pick a quick tip (15%, 18%, 20%, 25%) or type a custom percentage, split the total across any number of people, and optionally round each person's share up to a whole dollar — with the effective tip percentage shown so you know what the rounding actually gave. Example: a $64.50 dinner at 20% is a $12.90 tip and $77.40 total; split three ways that is $25.80 each, or $26.00 each with round-up, which nudges the tip to $13.50 (20.9%). The tip is computed on whatever amount you enter, so use the pre-tax subtotal if that is your habit — the FAQ covers the pre-tax vs post-tax question.

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Enter the bill amount to see the tip and total.

How to use the tip calculator

  1. Enter the bill amount from the check.
  2. Tap a quick tip percentage — 15, 18, 20, or 25 — or type a custom one (0–100%).
  3. Set how many people are splitting, and optionally turn on round-up so each share is a whole-dollar amount.
  4. Read the tip, total, and per-person share; the effective percentage appears whenever rounding changes the tip.

Quick mental math for tipping without a phone

The 10% trick covers everything: move the decimal one place left to get 10%, then scale. On an $84 bill, 10% is $8.40, so 20% is double that ($16.80) and 15% is 10% plus half again ($8.40 + $4.20 = $12.60). For 18%, take 20% and knock off a tenth of it ($16.80 − $1.68 ≈ $15.10). Another fast anchor in many states: sales tax on the receipt runs roughly 6–10%, so doubling the tax line lands near 15–20% — a decent approximation when the receipt is the only thing in focus.

Tip reference table

Bill15%18%20%25%
$25.00$3.75$4.50$5.00$6.25
$50.00$7.50$9.00$10.00$12.50
$100.00$15.00$18.00$20.00$25.00
$200.00$30.00$36.00$40.00$50.00

Tips only — add the bill back for the total. Splitting? Divide the bill-plus-tip by the headcount, not the bill alone; a four-person $100 dinner at 20% is $30 each, not $25 plus a scramble over who covers the tip.

Tipping, tax, and the receipt

The subtotal, sales tax, and tip interact more than people expect. Sales tax rates vary by state and even by city — use the sales tax calculator to see what your local rate adds to a pre-tax price, or the reverse sales tax calculator to back the subtotal out of a tax-inclusive total when the receipt only shows the final number. One budgeting note: a “$60 dinner” in a city with 9% tax and a 20% tip is really about $77 out the door — building the roughly 30% tax-plus-tip overhead into your dining budget avoids the end-of-month surprise.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I tip at a restaurant in the US?

For full-service, sit-down dining, 15–20% of the bill is the long-standing norm, with 18–20% now the common default in most cities and 25% signaling exceptional service. Servers in many states are paid a reduced "tipped minimum wage" on the assumption that tips make up the difference, which is why tipping at sit-down restaurants is treated as effectively mandatory rather than a bonus. Tipping below 15% generally communicates a service problem.

What are the norms for other service types?

Common US conventions: food delivery 10–15% with a practical floor of a few dollars; bartenders $1–2 per drink or 15–20% on a tab; counter service and coffee shops optional, often a dollar or spare change; rideshare and taxis 10–20%; hair, nails, and spa services 15–20%; hotel housekeeping a few dollars per night left daily; valets and bellhops a couple of dollars per car or bag. These are customs, not rules — they shift with city and context.

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

Etiquette guides traditionally say pre-tax — the tax is not a service. In practice many people tip on the final total because it is the number in front of them. The difference is modest: on a $60 subtotal with 8% sales tax, 20% pre-tax is $12.00 while 20% post-tax is $12.96. This calculator uses whatever amount you enter, so type the subtotal for a pre-tax tip or the total for post-tax.

How does the round-up option change the tip?

It rounds each person's share up to the next whole dollar, then recomputes the total and tip from there. On a $64.50 bill at 20% split three ways, exact shares are $25.80; rounding up makes them $26.00, lifting the total to $78.00 and the tip to $13.50 — an effective 20.9% instead of 20%. Round-up only ever increases the tip (it never rounds down), and the effective percentage is displayed so nothing is hidden.

What if a service charge or 'gratuity included' line is already on the bill?

Check the bill before adding anything. Many restaurants add an automatic gratuity (often 18–20%) for large parties, and some venues add a "service charge" that may or may not go to staff. If gratuity is included, an extra tip is optional — people commonly add a little only for standout service. If it is a service charge with unclear distribution, it is fair to ask whether it goes to your server before deciding to tip on top.

Is a tip calculated before or after a discount or coupon?

Convention says tip on the pre-discount amount — the server did the same work whether or not you had a coupon. If a $80 meal is discounted to $50 with a voucher, a 20% tip on the original is $16, versus $10 on the discounted figure. Enter the original amount in the calculator for this case. The same logic applies to comped items and happy-hour pricing when the service was for the full order.

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