Tip Calculator
Calculate the tip and what everyone pays when you split the check. Each share is rounded up to an amount that is easy to pay.
Each person pays
$26.00
Total paid
$104.00
Tip
$17.60
Tip as a share of the check
20.4 %
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 · Check with the minimum tip
Step 2 · Each share, before rounding
Step 3 · Each share, rounded up
Step 4 · Total paid
Step 5 · Tip
Step 6 · Tip as a share of the check
How the calculation works
The check is here. 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 your server.
First the tip goes on top of the check: 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 cent, or to whole dollars, 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 check. The percentage is that tip divided by the check, times 100. Because of the rounding, the tip is never lower than the percentage you entered.
Formula
Each share = rounded up (check × (1 + tip ÷ 100) ÷ people ÷ step) × step. Total = share × people. Tip = total − check. Tip in % = tip ÷ check × 100.
Assumptions
- Everyone pays the same share. Who ordered more or less is not counted separately.
- The tip is a percentage of the full amount you enter, including sales tax.
- Each share is always rounded up, never down.
- A tip is voluntary. 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
$26.00
Check amount $86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 18 · To $1
-
Team dinner for eight
Each person pays
$47.00
Check amount $312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 18 · To $1
-
Dinner for one, to the cent
Each person pays
$59.00
Check amount $50.00 · Number of people 1 · Tip (%) 18 · To the cent
Frequently asked questions
How much do people tip in the US?
For table service, the Emily Post Institute gives 15 to 20% of the check before tax. A tip is always voluntary: according to the IRS, the customer decides whether to pay it and how much.
Do you tip on the amount before or after tax?
Emily Post gives the percentage on the amount before tax. The calculator works out the tip on the amount you enter. On a check of 100 plus 8% sales tax, 18% of the full 108 is 19.44, against 18 on the 100 before tax.
How does the rounding work?
Say the check is 86.40, there are four of you and you want to leave at least 18%. With the tip that is 101.95, or 25.49 each. Rounded up to whole dollars, everyone pays 26. Together that is 104: a tip of 17.60, or 20.4%.
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 cents.
What if one person pays the whole check?
Just enter how many of you there are. The person who pays settles the total, and the others each pay them back one share.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
No. A compulsory charge for service, for example 15% of the check, is not a tip under federal law. If your check already has one, you can set the tip to 0% and only round up.
Sources and checks
Sources
- Tip recordkeeping and reporting | Internal Revenue Service (opens in a new tab)
- Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) | U.S. Department of Labor (opens in a new tab)
- Tipping Etiquette 101: A Comprehensive Guide on Tipping | Emily Post (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
- Check amount $86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 10 · To $1 → Each person pays $24.00
- Check amount $86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 5 · To $1 → Each person pays $23.00
- Check amount $86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 18 · To $1 → Each person pays $26.00
- Check amount $143.75 · Number of people 6 · Tip (%) 0 · To $5 → Each person pays $25.00
- Check amount $312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 10 · To $1 → Each person pays $43.00
- Check amount $312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 18 · To $1 → Each person pays $47.00
- Check amount $50.00 · Number of people 1 · Tip (%) 18 · To the cent → Each person pays $59.00
- Check amount $86.40 · Number of people 4 · Tip (%) 18 · To the cent → Each person pays $25.49
- Check amount $312.50 · Number of people 8 · Tip (%) 5 · To $10 → Each person pays $50.00
- Check 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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