Tip Calculator

How to calculate a tip

A tip is the bill multiplied by the tip percentage. For a 20% tip on a $64.50 check, multiply 64.50 × 0.20 = $12.90, so the total is $77.40. For 18% it is 64.50 × 0.18 = $11.61, and for 15% it is $9.68 (9.675 rounded to the nearest cent).

To do it in your head, start with 10%: move the decimal point one place to the left, so 10% of $64.50 is $6.45. Double it for 20% ($12.90). For 15%, add half of the 10% figure: $6.45 + $3.23 = $9.68. For 25%, take a quarter of the bill: $64.50 ÷ 4 = $16.13.

When you split, add the tip first and then divide. A $120 dinner for four with a 20% tip is $144 in total, or $36 per person, of which $6 is each person’s share of the tip.

Should you tip on the pre-tax or after-tax amount?

Etiquette guides such as the Emily Post Institute say the tip is based on the pre-tax amount, because sales tax goes to the government rather than the restaurant. Card terminals and some printed tip suggestions, though, often calculate the percentage on the total including tax.

The difference is small but real. On $100 of food with 8.25% sales tax, the check reads $108.25. A 20% tip on the pre-tax $100 is $20.00, while 20% of $108.25 is $21.65. Tick Tip on the pre-tax amount, enter the tax line from the receipt, and the calculator applies your percentage to the subtotal while still adding the tip to the full bill.

Either choice is fine. Tipping on the total is simply the more generous option, and many people do it because it is quicker.

Rounding up and splitting fairly

Exact splits often end in odd cents. Rounding up each person makes every share a whole dollar: a $87.40 check with a 20% tip is $104.88, or $34.96 each for three people. Rounding up gives $35.00 each, $105.00 in total, and the extra 12 cents goes to the server as tip.

Rounding up the total does the same for the whole check, which is handy when one person pays. If a total still doesn’t divide evenly, the calculator tells you how many people pay one cent more so that the shares add up exactly to the bill.

The comparison table below the result lists 15%, 18%, 20%, 22% and 25% side by side for the same bill, so you can see what a few extra percent means in dollars before you decide.

How much to tip in the US

Typical guidance for sit-down restaurants is 15% to 20% of the pre-tax bill, with 20% now the most common choice for good service and 22% to 25% for excellent service or a special occasion. Many restaurants add an automatic gratuity, often 18% to 20%, for large parties. Check the receipt so you don’t tip twice.

Common amounts elsewhere: bartenders $1 to $2 per drink or 15% to 20% of the tab; food delivery 15% to 20% with a few dollars minimum; hair stylists and barbers 15% to 20%; taxi and rideshare drivers 15% to 20%. Tipping at a takeout counter is optional. These are customs, not rules, and local norms vary.