Checked 15 October 2026. What was checked. How these pages are maintained.
How to split a tip
Tip = bill × tip%. Total = bill + tip. Per person = total ÷ people. 15–20% is common in North America for table service. Some restaurants already include a service charge for large groups — do not double-tip unless you want to.
Worked example
A $86 pre-tax bill at 18% is $15.48 tip, $101.48 total. Split three ways and each person pays about $33.83.
If the bill already includes an 18% auto-gratuity for a large table, set the tip to 0 or a small extra. Many people tip on the pre-tax subtotal; type that number if that is your habit.
The subtotal, the tax, and the line that is already a tip
A $64.20 pre-tax bill at 15 percent is a tip of 64.20 × 0.15 = $9.63 and a total of $73.83. Four people pay 73.83 ÷ 4 = $18.46 each if you round to the cent. If the bill you type is already $72.55 with tax included, the same 15 percent becomes $10.88 and you have tipped on the tax. Neither choice is in the form. The form multiplies the number in the bill box. Put the pre-tax subtotal there when that is the custom at the table.
An 18 percent auto-gratuity printed for a party of eight is already a tip. Adding 18 again doubles it. Set the percent to 0, or to a small extra if you are adding on top of the service charge, and read the total before you divide. The page will not scan the receipt for the words “service included.”
A split that is not even
The per-person line assumes everyone pays the same share of the whole bill, tip included. It does not split appetizers one way and entrees another. If one person had a $22 plate and another had a $14 plate, add those plates yourself, tip each share, and use this page only as the check on the table total. One person paying the cash and collecting later still needs the same total. The math does not change because the card is in one name.
Which number the percent hits
Eighteen percent of the meal is not eighteen percent of the till total runs an $80 Ontario dinner both ways. The card totals are $104.80 and $106.67.
Common questions
Should I tip on tax?
Most people tip on the pre-tax subtotal. This tool uses the number you type, so enter the subtotal if you prefer.
What about a service fee already on the bill?
If a service charge is included, you can set tip to 0 or add a smaller extra.