Tip Calculator
Calculate a tip, split it evenly, or split a bill and tip fairly when people ordered items of very different prices.
Enter each person's name and what they ordered
All calculations run in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
Splitting a tip evenly works fine when everyone ordered roughly the same amount, similar to the basic percentage math on the Percentage Calculator. It stops being fair the moment one person got a steak and a round of drinks while someone else had a side salad, which is exactly the case the second mode below is built to handle, splitting both the bill and the tip in proportion to what each person actually ordered.
Related Calculators
How It Works
Per person (even split) = (Bill + Tip) ÷ number of people
For an uneven split, each person's share of the tip is calculated as their share of the total bill, so someone whose order was double the average pays roughly double the tip too, not an equal flat amount.
Where This Comes Up
Group dinners where orders vary a lot in price, a work lunch where seniority or appetite leads to very different totals, or a shared bill where one person covered drinks for the table are all situations where an even split feels unfair to at least one person, and a proportional split resolves that without anyone needing to do mental math at the table.
Group Dinners with Mixed Orders
When one person orders a modest appetizer and another orders a full multi-course meal with drinks, an even split effectively means the lighter eater subsidizes the heavier one, both on the bill itself and on the tip. A proportional split keeps each person's contribution tied to what they actually ordered.
Work Lunches and Team Outings
Group meals paid on a shared card and settled up afterward often involve people who ordered very differently, and calculating fair shares by hand for a large group is slow and error-prone. If the bill also included tax, checking the pre-tax subtotal first with the Sales Tax Calculator makes sure the tip is calculated on the right base. Entering everyone's order once and letting the split calculate automatically avoids both the awkward conversation and the arithmetic.
Splitting a Bill with Shared Items
A shared appetizer, bottle of wine, or round of drinks complicates an otherwise simple per-person split. Adding an even share of any shared items to each person's individual total before calculating keeps the proportional tip split accurate even when part of the bill wasn't ordered individually.
Common Mistakes
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I split a tip fairly when people ordered different amounts?
Calculate each person's share of the total bill as a percentage, then apply that same percentage to the tip. The "Uneven Split" mode above does this automatically based on what each person entered.
Should I tip on the total before or after tax?
Conventions vary, but many guides suggest tipping on the pre-tax subtotal, since tax isn't part of the service. Either approach is common in practice.
What's a standard tip percentage?
This varies by location and type of service, and there's no single universal standard. Checking local norms for the specific service and region is more reliable than assuming a fixed number.
How do I handle a shared item like an appetizer in an uneven split?
Add an even share of the shared item's cost to each person's individual order amount before entering it, so the proportional split accounts for both what they ordered personally and their portion of anything shared.
Does a lower tip percentage on a big group order still add up to a fair amount?
Yes, since the tip is calculated as a percentage of the whole bill regardless of group size. What changes with a larger group is how that tip gets divided, which is exactly what the split modes above are for.