Tip calculator
Enter the bill, the tip you want to leave and the number of people to see the tip, the total and each person’s share. A list under the answer shows the other usual percentages for the same bill.
This answer is for the example values in the boxes above. $86.40 bill, 18% tip, 2 people. Change the boxes to see your own answer.
Each share is rounded to the cent, so the shares can differ from the total by a cent.
How it works
The tip is the bill times the percent, rounded to the cent, and the total is the bill plus the tip. Each person’s share is the total divided by the number of people, rounded to the cent. The list under the answer shows the tip and the total at 15, 18, 20 and 25 percent of the same bill, and leaves out the one you chose.
If you choose to round up, each person pays the next whole dollar. The extra counts as tip, so the tip you see is what the table pays above the bill.
A worked example
A bill of $86.40 with an 18 percent tip has a tip of $15.55 and a total of $101.95. Shared by two, each person pays $50.98, and each person’s part of the tip is $7.78.
Rounded up, each person pays $51.00, the table pays $102.00 and the tip is $15.60.
Tips on common bills
On a $50 bill the tip is $7.50 at 15 percent, $9.00 at 18, $10.00 at 20 and $12.50 at 25. On a $120 bill it is $18.00, $21.60, $24.00 and $30.00. The calculator shows the same for any bill you enter.
What it leaves out
The calculator splits the bill evenly. If one person ordered more, work out their part of the bill first and enter it with one person. It cannot see whether your check already has a service charge, so look at the check before you add a tip.
Questions
How do I work out a 15% tip in my head?
Move the decimal point one place to get 10%, then add half of that. On $86.40, 10% is $8.64 and half of it is $4.32, so 15% is $12.96.
Do I tip on the bill before or after tax?
The choice is yours. The calculator tips on whatever amount you enter, so enter the bill before tax to tip on that, or the total to tip on the total.
How do I split a bill with a tip evenly?
Add the tip to the bill and divide by the number of people. For $86.40 with an 18% tip the total is $101.95, and two people pay $50.98 each.
What does rounding up to a whole dollar do?
Each person pays the next whole dollar, and the extra counts as tip. On the same bill each of two people pays $51.00, the total is $102.00 and the tip is $15.60.
Why do the shares not add up exactly?
Each share is rounded to the cent. Two shares of $50.98 add to $101.96, which is a cent over the $101.95 total. Round up to whole dollars to avoid odd cents.
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