Tip Calculator

Tip on the pre-tax total

The convention in the United States is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, not the total including sales tax. Tipping on the post-tax figure quietly adds a few percent, because you are tipping on money that went to the state rather than to the restaurant. On a 100 bill with 8 percent tax, tipping 20 percent post-tax costs 21.60 rather than 20. Small per meal, noticeable over a year.

What percentage is expected

Expectations are local and change over time. In the United States, 18 to 20 percent is the current norm for full table service, with 15 percent read as a signal of dissatisfaction. In much of Europe service is frequently included and a small round-up is sufficient. In Japan tipping is not customary and can cause awkwardness. Card terminals increasingly prompt at 20, 25 and 30 percent by default, which has shifted the anchor upward without any change in convention.

Splitting fairly

An even split is simplest and usually fine among friends ordering comparably. It stops being fair when one person had a starter and three drinks and another had soup. Splitting by item and then apportioning tax and tip proportionally is the accurate method, and it matters most in exactly the situation where an even split feels unfair.

Rounding

Rounding the tip up to the next whole unit is the norm and makes the total easier to settle. When splitting, rounding each person's share up by a small amount avoids the common situation where the collected total falls a little short of the bill. Rounding the total down leaves the last payer covering the gap.

Service charges

Where a service charge is already added, usually for larger groups, an additional tip is not expected. Check the bill before tipping: an automatic gratuity line plus a manual tip means paying twice, which is a frequent and expensive mistake with large parties.