What is a tip calculator?
A tip calculator works out how much to leave as a tip, what the total bill comes to, and how much each person pays when you split it. Enter the bill, choose a tip percentage and the number of people, and this free online tool shows the tip amount, the total and the share per person. It can tip on the pre-tax amount, round each share up to a whole number, and lists the tip at 10%, 15%, 18%, 20% and 25% so you can compare in one glance. It works in dollars, rupees, euros, pesos or any other currency, and on your phone just like an app.
What is tip? Meaning of a tip or gratuity
A tip (also called a gratuity) is extra money a customer gives to someone who served them, on top of the price of the service. In the United States tips are a large part of what servers, bartenders, delivery drivers and salon staff earn, because the minimum cash wage for tipped workers can be much lower than the regular minimum wage. In many other countries tipping is smaller or optional, and some restaurants add a fixed service charge instead.
How to use this tip calculator (how to tip calculator steps)
- Enter the bill amount from your receipt.
- Set the tip percentage. 15–20% is standard at sit-down restaurants in the US.
- Enter the number of people splitting the bill.
- Optional: enter the tax shown on the receipt so the tip is based on the pre-tax amount.
- Optional: choose rounding so everyone pays a whole number.
Tip calculator formula
This is how to calculate tip by hand:
Tip = Bill (before tax) × Tip % ÷ 100
Total = Bill + Tip
Per person = Total ÷ Number of people
- Bill = the amount on the receipt; subtract tax first if you tip on the pre-tax amount
- Tip % = the percentage you choose to leave
- Number of people = how many are sharing the bill equally
Worked example
Three friends have dinner and the bill is $85. They leave an 18% tip: 85 × 18 ÷ 100 = $15.30. The total is $100.30, so each person pays 100.30 ÷ 3 = $33.43. If they round each share up to $34, everyone pays $34, the total becomes $102 and the tip rises to $17 (20%). These are the calculator's default numbers.
How to calculate tip percentage
If you already know the tip you left, the percentage is Tip ÷ Bill × 100. A $12 tip on a $60 bill is 12 ÷ 60 × 100 = 20%. For quick checks use the percentage calculator.
How to calculate tip on calculator or in your head
- 10%: move the decimal point one place left. 10% of $64.00 is $6.40.
- 20%: double the 10% figure. $6.40 × 2 = $12.80.
- 15%: take 10% and add half of it. $6.40 + $3.20 = $9.60.
- 18%: 20% minus 2% (one fifth of 10%). $12.80 − $1.28 = $11.52.
- On a calculator, multiply the bill by 1.18 to get the total with an 18% tip in one step.
Tip calculator with tax: before or after tax?
Etiquette guides in the US say to tip on the pre-tax amount, because sales tax is not part of the service. The difference is small: on a $100 meal with 8.875% tax, a 20% tip is $20 before tax or $21.78 after tax. Many people simply tip on the total to keep things simple, and that is fine too. Enter the tax amount in the optional field to use the pre-tax method. To find the tax on a bill, use the sales tax calculator.
How much to tip chart for the USA
| Service | Typical tip |
|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 15–20% (20%+ for excellent service) |
| Buffet | 10% |
| Bartender | $1–2 per drink or 15–20% of the tab |
| Food delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats) | 15–20%, at least $3–5 |
| Hair salon, haircut, barber | 15–20% |
| Nail salon, manicure, pedicure | 15–20% |
| Taxi or rideshare | 10–20% |
| Hotel housekeeping | $2–5 per night |
| Takeout counter | Optional, 0–10% |
In tourist cities such as Las Vegas and New York, 20% is common for restaurants. These are customary ranges, not rules; tip what reflects the service you received.
Tip calculator for hair, nails and delivery
For a haircut or colour at a hair salon, work out 15–20% of the service price before any product purchases. At a nail salon the same range applies to manicures and pedicures; if several staff worked on you, split the tip between them. For delivery apps, tip on the food subtotal, and tip more for bad weather, large orders or long distances.
Tipping around the world
- India: tipping is optional. Many restaurants add a service charge, which by the Central Consumer Protection Authority's 2022 guidelines must be voluntary; you may ask for it to be removed. Where there is no service charge, 5–10% is a kind gesture.
- UK: 10–12.5% at restaurants, often added as a discretionary service charge.
- Europe: rounding up or 5–10% in euros; service is often included.
- Mexico: 10–15% in pesos at restaurants.
- South Africa: 10–15% at restaurants.
- Japan: tipping is not expected.
How to calculate tips per hour
Servers and bartenders often want an hourly figure. Divide total tips by the hours worked: $180 in tips over a 6-hour shift is $30 per hour. When tips are pooled, each person's share is usually the pool × their hours ÷ total hours of everyone in the pool.
Restaurants, salons, delivery and travel: what to enter
This tip calculator online free version works in any browser, so you do not need a free app on your iPhone or Android. Common cases:
- Restaurant: keep the tip calculator's default 18%, set the number of people to split the bill between friends, and round up each share if you want whole numbers.
- Food delivery: for DoorDash, Uber Eats or Swiggy, give the tip calculator the food subtotal and add a little extra for bad weather.
- Hair salon: for a haircut, colour or blow-dry, enter the service price and 15–20% in the tip calculator.
- Nail salon: nails, a manicure or a pedicure at a nail salon usually get 15–20% too, and the tip calculator works the same way.
- Sales tax: enter the tax so the tip is based on the pre-tax amount.
- Hours worked: see the tips-per-hour section below.
Tipping in pesos, euros and rand
Change the tip calculator's currency to pesos for Mexico (10–15% is usual) or the Dominican Republic, to euros for Europe, to rand for South Africa, or to rupees for India. The percentage maths is the same everywhere.
Tip calculator USA: Las Vegas, New Jersey, Ohio
Tipping customs are broadly the same across US states, so the tip calculator's 15–20% suits restaurants whether you are at a Las Vegas buffet or show, or dining in New Jersey, Ohio or Michigan. Some states let employers pay tipped staff a lower cash wage, which is why tips matter so much there.
Tip calculator formula for developers
If you are building a tip calculator in Python (the classic CS50 exercise), a JavaScript widget or a Java app, the core logic is: tip = bill * pct / 100, total = bill + tip, each = total / people, formatted to two decimals.
Hair, salon, delivery and rides
The same 15–20% range covers most hair and salon appointments: enter the service price and your chosen percentage. Uber riders can use 10–20% of the fare, and tattoo artists usually receive 15–20% too.
Tip calculator hourly
A tip calculator hourly figure is total tips ÷ hours worked. It is a simple way to compare shifts or check tip-pool fairness.
Tip calculator for Canada (BC, Quebec) and Virginia
In Canada, restaurant tips are usually 15–20% of the bill before tax. For the tip calculator in BC, tip on the food and drink price, not on the 5% GST and 7% PST (10% on alcohol). In Quebec, the bill shows GST (5%) and QST (9.975%); tipping 15% on the pre-tax amount is standard, and card machines often suggest 15, 18 or 20%. In Virginia (VA), 15–20% is normal; the tip calculator with tax set to "before tax" leaves out the state and local sales tax of about 5.3–7% and any meals tax.
Example: a C$80 dinner in Quebec has C$11.98 of taxes. A 15% tip on the pre-tax C$80 is C$12, making C$103.98 in total.
Gratuity calculator: end-of-service gratuity by years and months
"Gratuity" also means the lump sum an employer pays when you leave a job, which is quite different from a restaurant tip. The rules depend on the country:
- India: gratuity = last basic + DA × 15 ÷ 26 × years of service, after at least 5 years. In the year and month count, a final part-year of more than 6 months counts as a full year. For 10 years and 7 months on ₹40,000, it is 40,000 × 15 ÷ 26 × 11 ≈ ₹2,53,846. Use our gratuity calculator for this.
- Saudi Arabia (KSA): under the Saudi Labour Law, the gratuity calculator uses half a month's wage for each of the first 5 years and a full month's wage for each year after that, with part-years counted pro rata. If you resign, you get a reduced share (one third after 2–5 years, two thirds after 5–10 years, all of it after 10 years).
- Zambia: under the Employment Code Act 2019, employees on fixed-term contracts are entitled to gratuity of at least 25% of the basic pay earned over the contract.
Gratuity calculator: how many years, monthly or yearly?
Gratuity is paid once, when you leave, so there is no monthly gratuity payment; it is worked out from your monthly salary and how many years you served. A yearly gratuity estimate in India is simply 15 days' wages (monthly basic + DA × 15 ÷ 26) for each completed year.
How to calculate tip speed (fans, blades and cutters)
Engineers use "tip speed" for the speed at the outer edge of a rotating blade. Tip speed = π × diameter × RPM ÷ 60. A 1.2 m fan turning at 300 RPM has a tip speed of 3.1416 × 1.2 × 300 ÷ 60 ≈ 18.8 m/s. It has nothing to do with tipping, but the formula is short enough to use on any calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a tip?
Multiply the bill by the tip percentage and divide by 100. An 18% tip on $85 is $15.30, making the total $100.30.
How do I split a bill with a tip?
Add the tip to the bill and divide by the number of people. $100.30 split three ways is $33.43 each.
Should I tip before or after tax?
Etiquette says to tip on the pre-tax amount, but tipping on the total is common and only adds a little. Enter the tax amount in this calculator to tip on the pre-tax figure.
How much should I tip at a restaurant in the US?
15–20% of the pre-tax bill is standard for table service, with 20% or more for excellent service.
How much do you tip for a haircut or nails?
Around 15–20% of the service price at a hair salon, barber or nail salon.
How much to tip calculator: what percentage is normal?
In the US, 15% is the minimum for fair service, 18% is common and 20% is standard for good service at a restaurant. Use the table in the result to compare all of them at once.
How to calculate tip in restaurant bills with tax?
Subtract the tax from the bill first, then multiply by your tip percentage. On a $108.88 bill that includes $8.88 tax, a 20% tip on $100 is $20.
What is an average tip?
In US restaurants the average tip is about 18–20% of the pre-tax bill. For delivery and counter service the average is lower. Many people use an average tip calculator figure of 18% as a default.
Should I tip on the amount before or after tax?
Etiquette guides in the US and Canada recommend tipping on the pre-tax amount. Tipping on the total after tax is fine if you want to be generous.
How is end-of-service gratuity calculated in Saudi Arabia?
Half a month’s wage for each of the first 5 years of service and a full month’s wage for each year after that. Resigning employees get a reduced share unless they have served 10 years or more.
Last updated 2026-09-18