The bill arrives at the end of a good meal and the mood shifts to mental arithmetic: add the tip, divide by the group, and work out who owes what. Done badly it's awkward; done well it takes seconds.
Here's how to split a bill fairly — including tip and uneven orders — without anyone feeling short-changed.
The simple even split
When everyone ate and drank roughly the same, the fair method is simplest: add the tip to the bill first, then divide the total by the number of people. Splitting the pre-tip figure and adding tip separately gets you to the same place, but doing tip-first avoids someone forgetting to chip in for it.
Example: a $120 bill, a 18% tip ($21.60), split three ways. Total is $141.60, so each person pays $47.20.
How much to tip
Tipping norms vary by country, so check local custom — but in the US, 15–20% of the pre-tax total is typical for table service, with 20% common for good service. Decide as a group whether you're tipping on the pre-tax or post-tax amount before you calculate, so the split is consistent.
Round each person's share up slightly rather than down. Small rounding-down across a group can leave the tip short when everyone pays; rounding up covers it and often leaves a little extra.
Handling uneven orders
If one person had a steak and cocktails while another had a salad and water, an even split isn't fair. The clean approach: split the shared items (appetisers, a bottle for the table) evenly, then add each person's individual items to their own share. Apply the tip proportionally to each person's subtotal.
Split it in seconds
For the common even split, the free Bill Splitter does it instantly: enter the bill, pick a tip percentage and the number of people, and it shows the tip, the grand total and exactly what each person pays.
Bill SplitterSplit a bill with tip across any group.Related everyday tools
- Tip Calculator — work out a tip on any amount.
- Percentage Calculator — any percentage, fast.
- Unit Price Calculator — compare prices by unit when shopping.