Tip Calculator

How to Use the Tip Calculator

Enter the bill amount, tap your tip percentage (15%, 18%, 20%, 25%, or custom), and choose how many people are splitting. The calculator shows the tip amount, total bill, and per-person share. Toggle "Round up" to get clean per-person numbers — handy when paying with Venmo or cash.

US Tipping Standards (2026)

Sit-down restaurants: 18–22% standard, 15% minimum acceptable. Buffets: 10% for water and plate clearing. Bartenders: $1–2 per drink or 18–20% on tabs. Delivery drivers: 15–20% with $5 floor. Coffee shops: $1 or 10–15% on counter service is generous; nothing is acceptable. Hairdressers: 15–20% of service cost. Hotel housekeeping: $3–5/night, left daily on the pillow with a "thank you" note. Taxi/Uber: 15–20%, or skip tip on short rides if app says optional. Tipping culture has crept upward — what was 15% standard 20 years ago is now 20%.

Splitting Bills Without Drama

The eternal restaurant problem: someone ordered a $40 steak and someone ordered a $12 salad — does the salad person pay for half? Three rules of thumb: (1) when ordering varies dramatically, split itemized; (2) when ordering is similar, split evenly; (3) when in doubt, the person who suggested the restaurant should subsidize generously. Apps like Splitwise, Venmo, and even this calculator's split mode make the math invisible — saving friendships from awkward math conversations.

The Hidden Math: Service Fees and Auto-Gratuity

Many restaurants now add an automatic 18–20% service charge for parties of 6+, or a 3–5% "kitchen support" or "health insurance" fee. Always check the bill before adding more tip — you may be double-tipping. If a service charge is listed, the server may or may not receive it (varies by restaurant), so adding a smaller additional tip ($5–10 on top) is still a kind move when service was good. For weddings, banquets, and catered events, gratuity is typically already included in the contract.

Quick Mental Math Tricks

If you don't want to pull out a calculator: divide the bill by 10 (move the decimal one place left) to get 10%, then double it for 20%. $58 bill → $5.80 is 10% → $11.60 is 20%. For 15%: take 10%, then add half of that ($5.80 + $2.90 = $8.70). For 18%: take 20%, subtract 10% of that ($11.60 − $1.16 = $10.44). For three-way splits with tip, divide the post-tip total by 3 — let one person eat the rounding error. Use our discount calculator to figure pre-tip prices when you have a coupon.