Tip and bill splitter

Someone pays a penny more. There's no arrangement of whole pennies that divides 100 by 3 evenly, so a split will either come up short or one person covers the difference.

This tool tells you when that's happening, because the alternative is everyone rounding to something sensible and the table being short by a few pence when the card machine arrives.

Rounding up

The round-up option takes the total to a whole number before splitting. It usually makes the split cleaner and it's what most people do anyway.

It also quietly increases the tip, which is worth knowing rather than discovering. Rounding a 47.30 bill to 48 adds 70p on top of whatever percentage you set.

What to actually tip

This varies more than almost anything else about eating out, and getting it wrong in either direction is uncomfortable.

United States, 18 to 20% in a restaurant with table service, and staff wages frequently assume it. Under 15% reads as a complaint.

United Kingdom, 10 to 12.5%, and a service charge is often already on the bill. Check before adding anything, because paying twice is common.

Most of continental Europe, service is usually included. Rounding up or leaving 5 to 10% for good service is normal, and 20% is not.

Japan, no tipping. It can genuinely cause confusion or offence.

Nigeria and much of West Africa, 5 to 10% is common in restaurants that expect it, and it's frequently not included.

When in doubt, look at the bill for a service charge and ask if it isn't clear.

Tip on the total or before tax?

Both conventions exist. Tipping on the pre-tax amount is technically the older practice and slightly cheaper. Tipping on the total is simpler and what most card terminals default to.

The difference on a 60 bill with 8% tax is about a pound. Not worth an argument either way.

Splitting when people ordered differently

An even split is fine when everyone ate similarly and awkward when they didn't. One person having a starter and three courses while another had a salad and tap water makes an even split a quiet subsidy.

The practical middle ground: split the tip and any service charge evenly, since service was provided to the table, and split the food by what people actually ordered. That handles the common complaint without anyone doing long division over a receipt.

Groups and the automatic service charge

Many restaurants add a service charge automatically for parties above a certain size, often six or eight. It's usually printed at the bottom of the menu.

Check the bill before adding a tip on top. Paying twice on a large group bill is an expensive mistake and a common one, because the line item is easy to miss among a long list of dishes.

If the service charge is already there and the service was poor, most places will remove it if asked. In the UK it's discretionary by law unless stated otherwise.

The awkward bit

Someone always ends up paying the extra penny, and the person who put their card down usually absorbs it without mentioning it. This tool just makes it visible so it's a choice rather than an accident.

Nothing you type is sent anywhere. The bill stays in your browser.