The formula
How it works
A tip is a percentage of the bill added to reward service. Pick the bill, choose a percentage, and — if you are splitting — say how many people are paying, and the calculator works out the tip, the grand total and each person’s share.
FAQ
In the US, 15–20% is normal for table service; 18% is a common default. In much of Europe a smaller tip, or none, is fine because service is often included.
Either is accepted. Tipping on the pre-tax bill is slightly cheaper; many people simply tip on the total shown for convenience.
About the tip calculator
This calculator takes the awkward mental arithmetic out of tipping. It multiplies your bill by a tip percentage, adds it to the total, and can divide everything evenly between a group so nobody has to work out their share at the table. Tipping customs vary widely around the world, so being able to set any percentage makes it useful wherever you are eating.
How to use it
Enter the bill amount, then drag the slider to the percentage you want to leave. If you are paying alone, leave the number of people at 1; to split the bill, type how many are sharing it. Say the meal came to $50 and you tip 18% between two people: the tip is $9, the total is $59, and each person pays $29.50. The readout above the slider updates live, so you can nudge the percentage until the total lands on a round number.
The formula
The tip itself is , where is the bill and is the percentage. The grand total is , and when a group of people splits it evenly, each pays . Because the tip is a straight percentage, doubling the bill doubles the tip, and the per-person share simply divides the whole thing by the number of payers.
Where it is used
Diners use it at restaurants, cafés and bars, but the same maths applies to tipping taxi drivers, hairdressers, delivery riders and hotel staff. Groups splitting any shared cost — not just tips — can use the “split between” field to divide a bill fairly. Travellers find it handy for adjusting to local customs, where the “right” percentage might be very different from the one they are used to at home.