How much should you tip?
In the US, the customary tip for sit-down restaurant service is 18–22%. Below 15% signals dissatisfaction; above 25% is generous. For takeout, delivery, and counter service, the norms are softer — 10–15% is common. Bars typically get $1–2 per drink or 15–20% on a tab. Hair salons, nail techs, spa services, and similar personal services usually tip at 15–20%.
The tip calculator above handles any of these. Type your bill, pick a tip percentage (or use the quick-pick buttons), and set the split count. It shows total tip, total bill, and per-person cost in one view.
Tip on pre-tax or post-tax?
Technically, tips are calculated on the pre-tax subtotal. Tipping on tax is "tipping on tax" — the tax is going to the government, not the server, so your service-quality measurement should exclude it. In practice, most people eyeball the total and tip on that, which ends up being 8–10% higher than intended in high-tax states like California or New York.
The toggle in the calculator lets you pick. For a $100 bill with 8% tax and a 20% tip: pre-tax tip is $20, post-tax tip is $21.60. Small difference on small bills, meaningful difference on large group meals.
Splitting the bill between people
Splitting by person is the default. Enter 4, the total is divided by 4. This works when everyone ordered roughly the same thing. For uneven orders, some groups split proportional to what each person ordered, then add tax and tip per person to that base. For simplicity, the calculator supports even splits only — for complex splits, a dedicated bill splitter app like Splitwise handles item-by-item accounting.
Tipping etiquette for small business owners
If your small business involves in-person service (salons, trades, restaurants, spas), you will set the tipping norms for your clients. A few principles worth adopting.
- Never add automatic gratuity without disclosure. In most states it is legal for parties of 6+ but must be disclosed in writing upfront.
- Share tips fairly among staff. Tip pooling between servers, bussers, and kitchen is legal in most states but the rules are strict. Consult a local attorney before setting up a pool.
- Provide a clear tip line on receipts. Tablet-based point-of-sale systems can increase tip average by 3–5 points just by defaulting to 20% pre-selected.
- Pay for tipped work properly. Tipped employees have different minimum wage rules. Track hours carefully and ensure tips plus base pay clears the full minimum wage.
International tipping norms
US tipping norms are unusually high by global standards. In most of Europe, a 5–10% tip or rounding up is the norm and service charges are often already included. In Japan, tipping is generally not practiced and can be confusing or seen as impolite. In Australia and New Zealand, tipping is appreciated but not expected — 10% for exceptional service is plenty. Check local norms before you travel; over-tipping feels charitable but can make locals uncomfortable.
Quick tip math you can do in your head
- 10% tip: move the decimal one place left. $65 → $6.50.
- 20% tip: double the 10% number. $65 → $13.
- 15% tip: 10% plus half of 10%. $65 → $6.50 + $3.25 = $9.75.
- 18% tip: 20% minus 10% of 20%. $65 → $13 − $1.30 = $11.70.
- 25% tip: a quarter of the bill. $65 → ~$16.25.
The calculator is faster than doing it in your head, especially with tax and a split to manage, but knowing the head-math is useful when you don't have your phone handy.
Pre-calculated split reminders
If you regularly split bills with the same group, set a group rule and stick to it. The most common frictions are around tax, tip percentage, and whether to split evenly or itemize. Pick once, stop arguing about it every meal. "We split evenly, 20% tip, post-tax" is a clean rule that ends debate.
Related tools
If you run a service business, also look at our freelance rate calculator to make sure your hourly is covering the time your customers are taking, and the employee cost calculator to see what each additional staff member really costs once benefits and payroll taxes are included.