Tip Calculator
Bill, tip percent, number of people — done before the server returns with the machine.
Tipping norms, quickly
| Situation | Common range (US/Canada) |
|---|---|
| Restaurant, table service | 15–20% (18–20% for good service) |
| Food delivery | 10–15%, minimum a few dollars |
| Bar | $1–2 per drink or 15–20% of the tab |
| Hairdresser / barber | 15–20% |
| Taxi / rideshare | 10–15% |
| Counter service / takeout | Optional, 0–10% |
Elsewhere norms differ sharply: much of Europe includes service in the price (round up or leave 5–10% for great service), Japan generally doesn't tip at all, and Australia treats tipping as genuinely optional. When traveling, a 30-second search for local custom saves both money and awkwardness.
Tip on the pre-tax amount?
Etiquette guides say the tip is calculated on the pre-tax subtotal; in practice most people tip on the total because that's the number staring at them. On a 13% tax bill, tipping 18% pre-tax ≈ 16% post-tax — if you want the by-the-book version, enter the subtotal as the bill.
Splitting a bill fairly when orders differ
An even split is fine when everyone ate similarly. When one person had a salad and another had steak and three drinks, it isn't — and this is where dinners get awkward. The clean method:
- Each person totals their own items (the pre-tax subtotal).
- Work out each person's share of the subtotal as a percentage.
- Apply that same percentage to the tax and tip.
Worked example
A $120 subtotal, 13% tax, 18% tip — total $157.20. Three diners ordered $30, $40 and $50.
| Diner | Subtotal | Share | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | $30 | 25% | $39.30 |
| B | $40 | 33.3% | $52.40 |
| C | $50 | 41.7% | $65.50 |
An even three-way split would have charged everyone $52.40 — meaning diner A subsidised diner C by more than $13.
A practical shortcut that avoids arithmetic at the table: everyone adds roughly 30% to their own items (covering typical tax plus tip) and the total lands close. Round up rather than down; someone always underestimates.
Tipping when service was poor
In tipping cultures, servers are frequently paid a reduced base wage on the assumption that tips make up the difference, and in many restaurants tips are pooled and shared with kitchen and support staff. That's worth knowing before you reduce a tip, because the person you're signalling to may not be the one affected.
A workable approach: distinguish between service problems and kitchen problems. Slow food, a wrong dish, or a noisy room usually isn't the server's doing. Genuine rudeness or neglect is. If service was genuinely poor, tipping 10% and speaking to a manager communicates far more clearly than leaving nothing without explanation.
Tipping outside North America
| Region | Typical expectation |
|---|---|
| United States / Canada | 15–20%; effectively expected |
| United Kingdom | 10–12.5%, often already added as a service charge |
| Much of Western Europe | Service usually included; round up or 5–10% for excellent service |
| Japan, South Korea | Not customary; can cause confusion |
| Australia / New Zealand | Genuinely optional; 10% for exceptional service |
Always check the bill for an existing "service charge" or "servizio" line before adding anything — double-tipping is the most common traveller error. Where service is included, tipping again is generous but not expected.