Tip Calculator
Work out the tip and what everyone pays when you split the bill. Each share is rounded up to an amount that is easy to pay.
Each person pays
£24.00
Paid in total
£96.00
Tip
£9.60
Tip as a share of the bill
11.1 %
Please note: This is an example calculation, not financial advice. Personal circumstances, changes in rules and rates, and additional costs are not included. If in doubt, talk to a financial adviser.
How this number is calculated
The blocks use your input. Change a value above and they update with it.
Step 1 · Bill with the minimum tip
Step 2 · Each share, before rounding
Step 3 · Each share, rounded up
Step 4 · Paid in total
Step 5 · Tip
Step 6 · Tip as a share of the bill
How the calculation works
The bill has arrived. How much do you tip, and what does everyone pay? Enter the amount, how many of you there are and the smallest tip you want to leave. The calculator rounds each share up, so everyone pays a round amount. Whatever the rounding adds goes to the staff.
First the tip goes on top of the bill: the amount times 1 plus the tip divided by 100. We divide that by the number of people. Each share is then rounded up to the step you choose: to the penny, or to whole pounds, 5 or 10. An amount that is already round stays the same. Everyone pays that round share, so the total is the share times the number of people. The tip is how much more you pay together than the bill. The percentage is that tip divided by the bill, times 100. Because of the rounding, the tip is never lower than the percentage you entered.
Formula
Each share = rounded up (bill × (1 + tip ÷ 100) ÷ people ÷ step) × step. Total = share × people. Tip = total − bill. Tip in % = tip ÷ bill × 100.
Assumptions
- Everyone pays the same share. Who ate more or less is not counted separately.
- The tip is a percentage of the full amount on the bill, including VAT.
- Each share is always rounded up, never down.
- Tipping is optional. The percentage is a custom, not a rule.
Example calculations
The button fills in the calculator above, so you can carry on from there.
-
Dinner for four
Each person pays
£24.00
Bill amount £86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 10 · To £1
-
Drinks with six friends
Each person pays
£25.00
Bill amount £143.75 · Number of people 6 · Tip (%) 0 · To £5
-
Team meal for eight
Each person pays
£43.00
Bill amount £312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 10 · To £1
Frequently asked questions
How much do people tip in the UK?
Tipping is optional. According to VisitBritain, a tip of 10 to 15% is usual in restaurants when there is no service charge on the bill, and a tip of around 10% is always appreciated.
What if there is already a service charge on the bill?
Some restaurants add an optional service charge to the bill. If you pay it, that is already the tip: include it in the bill amount, set the tip to 0% and only round up. Or leave it out and choose your own tip.
How does the rounding work?
Say the bill is 86.40, there are four of you and you want to leave at least 10%. With the tip that is 95.04, or 23.76 each. Rounded up to whole pounds, everyone pays 24. Together that is 96: a tip of 9.60, or 11.1%.
Why round each share and not the total?
That way everyone pays a round amount and the total still adds up. If you only round the total, each person is still left with an amount in pence.
What if one person pays the whole bill?
Just enter how many of you there are. The person who pays settles the total, and the others each pay them back one share.
Do the staff get the tips?
By law, all tips must go to the workers without deductions.
Sources and checks
Sources
- Code of practice on fair and transparent distribution of tips (HTML version) | GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
- Tips at work | GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)
- Useful information for travel to Britain | VisitBritain (opens in a new tab)
How we check it
This calculator has 18 fixed checks: 12 calculations with a result that is fixed in advance, and 6 cases of invalid input that must be rejected. They all run automatically every time we publish; if one fails, the calculator does not go live.
See the calculations
- Bill amount £86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 10 · To £1 → Each person pays £24.00
- Bill amount £86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 5 · To £1 → Each person pays £23.00
- Bill amount £86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 18 · To £1 → Each person pays £26.00
- Bill amount £143.75 · Number of people 6 · Tip (%) 0 · To £5 → Each person pays £25.00
- Bill amount £312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 10 · To £1 → Each person pays £43.00
- Bill amount £312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 18 · To £1 → Each person pays £47.00
- Bill amount £50.00 · Number of people 1 · Tip (%) 18 · To the penny → Each person pays £59.00
- Bill amount £86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 18 · To the penny → Each person pays £25.49
- Bill amount £312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 5 · To £10 → Each person pays £50.00
- Bill amount £80.00 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 0 · To £1 → Each person pays £20.00
Changes
- : First version.
Last reviewed: · How we build and check our calculators
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