Tip Calculator

How tipping works

A tip is a percentage of your bill added on top to thank someone for their service. In the United States, 15% to 20% is standard for good restaurant service, with 20% or more for service that goes above and beyond. This calculator works out the tip and the new total, and can split the bill across several people too.

How to use this calculator

1. Enter the bill amount before tip, for example \(45.80\).
2. Choose the tip percentage, such as \(18\\%\) or \(20\\%\).
3. If you want to split the bill, enter the number of people.
4. Check the tip amount, the total bill, and each person’s share.
5. Adjust the percent or split count to compare different results.

The formula explained

The formula \(\\text{Tip} = \\text{Bill} \\times \\frac{\\text{Tip Percent}}{100}\) computes the extra money added for service. Once you know the tip, you can add it to the bill to get the total.

• \(\\text{Tip}\) = the extra amount added to the bill
• \(\\text{Bill}\) = the original cost before tip
• \(\\text{Tip Percent}\) = the chosen tip rate written as a percent
• \(\\text{Total}\) = the bill plus the tip
• n = the number of people splitting the bill

Step by step method

1. Multiply the bill by the tip percent written as a decimal, so \(20\\%\) becomes \(0.20\).
2. Add the tip to the original bill to find the total amount.
3. If the bill is split, divide the total by \(n\) to find each person’s share.

Worked example

Problem. A restaurant bill is \(68.50\), and you want to leave a \(18\\%\) tip. If \(4\) people split the total, how much tip is added and what does each person pay?

1. Compute the tip: \(68.50 \\times 0.18 = 12.33\).
2. Add the tip to the bill: \(68.50 + 12.33 = 80.83\).
3. Split the total: \(80.83 \\div 4 = 20.2075\), so each person pays \(20.21\) after rounding to the nearest cent.

Tips and common mistakes

• Remember to change the percent to a decimal before multiplying, so \(15\\%\) becomes \(0.15\).
• If you are splitting the bill, round only at the end when possible, because rounding too early can change the final amount.

Frequently asked questions