Tipping is the rare piece of arithmetic that has to be done quickly, in public, often after a drink, and where getting it wrong is socially awkward in both directions. The calculation itself is trivial — a percentage of the bill — but the questions around it are not: tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total, what to do about a service charge already added, and how to split unevenly when one person had three courses and another had a salad.
The convention in the United States is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, though tipping on the total is common and costs only a little more. Where a service charge or gratuity is already on the bill, an additional tip is optional and usually reserved for exceptional service.
Customary rates in the United States
| Service | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 18–20% | 15% signals dissatisfaction; 20% is now the common default |
| Bar, per drink | $1–2 | Or 15–20% on a tab |
| Food delivery | 15–20% | Minimum $3–5 on small orders; more in bad weather |
| Takeout collected in person | 0–10% | Optional; 10% for a large or complex order |
| Taxi or rideshare | 10–15% | Round up for short trips |
| Hairdresser or barber | 15–20% | Tip the person who did the work |
| Hotel housekeeping | $3–5 per night | Left daily, since staff rotate |
| Baggage handling | $1–2 per bag |
Doing it in your head
- 10%: move the decimal point one place left. On $84.60 that is $8.46.
- 20%: find 10% and double it — $16.92 on the same bill.
- 15%: 10% plus half of it again, so $8.46 + $4.23 = $12.69.
- 18%: 20% minus a tenth of that 20%. Close enough to round.
- Doubling the tax works in some US states as a shortcut to roughly 15–18%, but only where the sales tax rate happens to suit.
Splitting a bill fairly
An even split is the fastest and, among friends with similar orders, the fairest. It stops being fair when the orders diverge sharply — the person drinking tap water should not subsidise two bottles of wine. The workable middle ground is to split shared items evenly, add individual items to the person who ordered them, and then apply the same tip percentage to everyone. Applying the tip as a percentage rather than a flat amount per head keeps it proportional automatically.
For a group, one person paying the whole bill and being reimbursed is almost always faster than asking a restaurant to run twelve cards, and many venues will refuse beyond a certain number anyway.
Tipping outside the United States
- Japan and South Korea: tipping is not practised and can cause genuine discomfort.
- Most of Europe: service is generally included; rounding up or leaving 5–10% is a compliment, not an obligation.
- United Kingdom: 10–12.5% in restaurants, frequently added as an optional service charge.
- Australia and New Zealand: not expected, as wages are structured differently; 10% for excellent service.
- Canada: broadly follows US convention at 15–20%.
Related tools
- Percentage Calculator — any percentage, not just tips
- Discount Calculator
- Average Calculator — for splitting across a group
- Browse all free tools