How Much to Tip: Free Tip Calculator and Customs Guide

How much to tip depends on where you are and what the service was. In the US, 15-20% of the bill is the usual restaurant tip. In India and much of Europe, 5-10% or rounding up is common, and nothing extra is expected when a service charge is already on the bill. To work it out, multiply the bill by the percentage and divide by 100, or let the free tip calculator do it and split the total for you.

This guide covers the maths, the usual ranges, and the small decisions that trip people up, such as whether to tip on tax and what to do when a service charge is already added.

The tip formula

A tip is just a percentage of the bill:

Tip = bill × tip % ÷ 100

A 15% tip on a bill of 80 is 80 × 15 ÷ 100 = 12, so you pay 92 in total. The currency doesn't matter: the same sum works for ₹80, $80 or €80.

Two quick mental shortcuts:

• 10%: move the decimal point one place left. 10% of 64.50 is 6.45.
• 20%: double the 10% figure. 20% of 64.50 is 12.90.
• 15%: take 10%, then add half of it again. 6.45 + 3.23 is about 9.68.

For anything else, the free percentage calculator handles "X% of Y" in one line, and the guide to calculating a percentage covers the other percentage questions.

How much to tip around the world

Customs vary a lot, and they change over time, so treat this table as a rough starting point rather than a rule. If you're travelling, a quick look at a recent local guide or simply asking staff is the best check.

Where	Restaurants	Notes
United States	15-20%	Tipping is a large part of many service workers' pay. Taxis, food delivery and hairdressers are usually tipped too.
Canada	15-20%	Similar to the US.
India	5-10%, or round up	Many restaurants add a service charge. If it's on the bill, an extra tip is optional.
UK and Ireland	10-12.5%	Often added as a service charge. Check the bill before adding more.
Most of Europe	Round up to 5-10%	Service is often included in the price. A few coins or rounding up is normal.
Japan	Not expected	Tipping can cause confusion. Good service is part of the price.
Australia and New Zealand	Not expected	Rounding up or about 10% for very good service is appreciated.
UAE and Gulf states	10-15%	Check for an included service charge first.

Should you tip on the amount before or after tax?

Strictly, a tip is for the service, so many people tip on the amount before tax. In practice, most people tip on the final total because it's the number in front of them, and the difference is small.

Here's how much it changes. On a meal of $100 with 8.875% sales tax, the total is $108.88:

• 20% on the pre-tax amount: $20.00
• 20% on the total with tax: $21.78

That's a difference of $1.78. Either is fine. Type whichever amount you want to tip on into the calculator's Bill amount box.

What about a service charge?

A service charge is a fee the restaurant adds to the bill, often 5-12.5%. It usually replaces the tip, so you don't need to add the full percentage again. Some people still leave a little cash for the server, especially when they aren't sure the service charge reaches the staff. If the charge is optional and you weren't happy with the service, you can usually ask for it to be removed.

How to calculate the tip and split the bill

Open the free tip calculator:

1. Type the total into Bill amount.
2. Tap a Quick tip button (10%, 15%, 18%, 20% or 25%), or type your own percentage in the Tip box, such as 12.5.
3. Set People splitting to the number of people paying.
4. Read the Tip and Total. With two or more people you also see Each person pays and Tip per person.

The calculator works out the answer as you type, so you can try 15% and 18% in a second and pick the one that feels right.

Rounding each share up

Splitting a bill evenly rarely gives a neat number. Tick Round each person's share up to a whole amount and each share rounds up to the next whole number. The extra goes on the tip, so the server gets a little more and nobody needs coins.

Example: a dinner for four costs ₹2,340 and you want to leave 10%.

• Without rounding: tip ₹234, total ₹2,574, each person pays ₹643.50.
• With rounding: each person pays ₹644, total ₹2,576, and the tip becomes ₹236.

The same works in dollars: a $86.40 bill at 18% split three ways is $33.98 each, or exactly $34 each with rounding on, which raises the tip from $15.55 to $15.60.

Tipping beyond restaurants

Restaurants get most of the attention, but the same formula covers other services. Where tipping is the custom, people commonly tip:

• Taxis and ride-hailing: round up, or 10-15% in the US.
• Food delivery: a fixed amount or 10-20%, more in bad weather or for large orders.
• Hairdressers and salons: 15-20% in the US; smaller amounts or rounding up elsewhere.
• Hotel staff: a small fixed amount per bag or per night.
• Bars: a small amount per drink in the US; rarely expected in much of Europe.

These are common habits, not rules. The best guide is always local custom and how good the service was.

Work it out now

Type the bill, choose a percentage and set how many people are paying. The free tip calculator shows the tip, the total and each person's share straight away, on your phone at the table, with no sign-up.