Free Tip Calculator

How to Calculate a Tip

Multiply the bill by the tip percentage, then divide by 100. On a $85 dinner, a 20% tip is $17. If splitting between 4 people, each person pays ($85 + $17) / 4 = $25.50. Most people round up for simplicity.

The Formula

Tip Amount = Bill x Tip Percentage / 100 Total Per Person = (Bill + Tip) / Number of People

Standard Tip Percentages (US)

15%: Acceptable for average service

18%: Standard for good service

20%: Standard for great service, and increasingly the baseline expectation

25%+: Above and beyond, for outstanding service or to account for small bills

These norms are US-specific. Many countries have no tipping culture (Japan, South Korea, most of Europe), and some include service in the bill. In the UK, 10-12.5% is common when tipping.

Pre-Tax vs. Post-Tax

Traditionally, you tip on the pre-tax amount. On a $100 meal with $8 in tax, a 20% tip should be $20 (not $21.60). In practice, most people tip on the total because it's easier to calculate. The difference is usually a dollar or two.

When to Use This

Restaurants, bars, delivery drivers, hair salons, taxi/rideshare, hotel housekeeping. For takeout, tipping is optional but 10-15% has become more common since 2020.

Common Mistakes

Tipping on a bill that already includes a service charge or auto-gratuity. Check the receipt. Parties of 6+ often have an automatic 18-20% gratuity added.

Using the wrong base when splitting. If 4 people split a $200 bill with a $40 tip, each owes $60. But if one person ordered $100 of the $200, an even split isn't fair. Split by what each person ordered, then each adds their own tip.

Forgetting to tip on alcohol. Some people tip less on expensive bottles of wine. The standard is to tip on the full bill including drinks.