Tip Calculator
Enter the bill, choose a tip percentage and how many people are splitting it — you get the tip, the total and each person’s share straight away. It saves the end-of-meal mental arithmetic and settles the "what do we each owe" question in seconds.
How it works
Tip amount = bill × tip% ÷ 100. On an £86 bill a 12.5% tip is £10.75, making the total £96.75.
Per-person share = total ÷ number of people. Splitting £96.75 four ways is £24.19 each (the calculator rounds each share to the penny).
Another quick example at the lower common rate: a £45 bill with a 10% tip adds £4.50 for a £49.50 total, which split three ways is £16.50 each. For mental arithmetic, 10% is just the bill divided by ten, and 12.5% is exactly one eighth — £86 ÷ 8 gives the £10.75 above.
Rounding creates a small edge case worth knowing: shares are rounded to the penny, and a total that does not divide evenly can leave the shares a penny or two short or over. £100 split three ways is £33.33 each, which collects £99.99 — someone contributes the spare penny, and no calculator can avoid that.
If a service charge is already on the bill, you don’t need to tip on top — enter 0% and just use the split. In the UK a discretionary 10–12.5% service charge is common in restaurants; tipping is not expected in pubs or for counter service.
The most common mistake is tipping twice: a discretionary service charge already on the bill IS the tip, so adding another 12.5% on top pays the service twice. Check the bill first — the calculator then either handles the split alone (0% tip) or adds a tip only where none has been charged.
The result shows three numbers — the tip, the grand total, and each person's share — all based on the exact bill you enter. UK menu prices already include VAT, so there is no separate pre-tax subtotal to worry about; the figure at the bottom of the bill is the right starting point.
FAQ
How much should you tip in the UK?
The norm in UK restaurants with table service is 10–12.5%, and many places now add a discretionary service charge of exactly that amount to the bill automatically — check before tipping twice. Tipping is not customary in pubs, cafés with counter service or fast food, and taxi fares are usually just rounded up.
Should the tip be calculated before or after VAT?
UK menu prices already include VAT, so in practice you tip on the total shown on the bill — there is no separate pre-tax subtotal like in the US. If a discretionary service charge has been added, the tip line has effectively been calculated for you and you can ask for it to be removed if service was poor.
Do tips have to go to the staff?
Yes — since the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 came into force in October 2024, employers must pass 100% of tips and service charges to workers without deductions and allocate them fairly. This applies to card tips as well as cash, so paying the tip by card no longer means the business can keep it.
How do I work out a tip without a calculator?
Use the two easy fractions: 10% is the bill divided by ten, and 12.5% is the bill divided by eight. For £86 that gives £8.60 and £10.75 respectively. Anything in between can be judged by eye once you have those two anchors — which covers the entire normal UK tipping range in two divisions.
Do I need to tip if there is already a service charge on the bill?
No — a discretionary service charge of 10–12.5% is the tip, added to the bill for you. Paying a further tip on top means paying for service twice. Enter 0% in the calculator and use the split alone; and if the service genuinely disappointed, a discretionary charge can be removed on request.
Why don't the split shares add up exactly to the total?
Because each share is rounded to the nearest penny. A £96.75 bill split four ways gives £24.19 each (£24.1875 unrounded), which collects £96.76 — a penny over. Uneven totals can drift a penny or two in either direction; it is a property of penny-rounding itself, not an error in the calculation.
Should I tip taxi drivers or in pubs?
Neither is a strong convention in the UK. Taxi fares are usually just rounded up to a convenient figure rather than tipped a percentage, and tipping is not customary in pubs or anywhere you order at the counter. Percentage tipping in the 10–12.5% range is really a table-service restaurant habit.