Tip Calculator

How to use Tip Calculator

1. Enter the bill amount.
2. Choose a tip percentage, or enter one.
3. Set the number of people to split between.
4. Read the tip, total and per-person amounts.
5. Tip conventionally applies to the pre-tax subtotal where tax is added separately.
6. Check whether service is already included before adding a tip — common in Europe.
7. Card terminals usually suggest percentages on the post-tax total.

Tipping norms vary enormously by country

The United States is the outlier: 15–20% is expected in restaurants, and service staff are often paid a sub-minimum wage on the assumption that tips make up the difference. In the UK and much of Europe, 10–12.5% is generous and service is frequently included already — check the bill before adding anything. Japan and South Korea do not tip at all, and attempting to can cause genuine awkwardness. Much of Asia, Australia and New Zealand sit between: rounding up is appreciated, a percentage is not expected.

Tip on the pre-tax amount

Where sales tax or VAT is added to the bill, the conventional base for a tip is the pre-tax subtotal — you are tipping on the service, not on the government’s share. In practice many people tip on the total and the difference is small, but on a large bill in a high-tax jurisdiction it is not trivial. Card terminals that suggest tip percentages almost always calculate them on the post-tax total, which quietly raises the effective rate.

Splitting a bill fairly

An even split is simplest and works when everyone ordered comparably. It stops being fair when one person had a starter and three drinks and another had soup. The practical compromise that avoids an itemised argument is to split evenly but let anyone who ordered substantially more volunteer the difference. Note also that rounding each share up by a small amount covers the awkward remainder and usually rounds the tip up slightly, which nobody objects to.