Splitting a restaurant bill sounds simple until the tip, an odd number of people, and someone who only had a coffee are all in the mix. Here’s the straightforward version.
Tip first, then split
The fairest common approach: add the tip to the total bill first, then divide the new total evenly by the number of people. Total = Bill × (1 + Tip% ÷ 100); Each person’s share = Total ÷ Number of people.
Check for an already-included service charge
Many restaurants already add a service charge to the bill — look for it before adding a tip on top, since tipping norms and expectations vary a lot between countries and even between restaurants in the same city.
When splitting evenly isn’t fair
If one person ordered significantly more than the rest, an even split can feel unfair. In that case, it’s usually simplest to calculate each person’s actual order total first, then apply the same tip percentage to each individual share rather than to the group total.
Skip the mental maths with the free Tip Calculator — enter the bill, tip percentage and number of people for an instant per-person amount.