Service guide
Restaurant tip calculator
Type the bill, pick a tip, set how many people are at the table. The calculator handles the rest — including a round-up option for when the per-person amount comes out awkward.
Per person
$29.50
2 × $29.50 = $59.00
- Bill
- $50.00
- Tip (18%)
- $9.00
- Total
- $59.00
Splitting unevenly? If someone had a steak and someone had a salad, an equal split isn't fair. Supasplit handles per-item assignments and proportional tax+tip in the app.
Open in SupasplitWhat's customary
| Service | Customary tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Casual sit-down | 15–18% | Chains, diners, brunch spots. |
| Nice dinner | 18–22% | Tip higher when service is attentive. |
| Fine dining | 20–25% | Often comes with sommelier, multiple waitstaff. |
| Brunch | 18–20% | Fast turnover — servers make up volume on tips. |
| Large party (6+) | 18–20% auto-added | Check the bill for "gratuity" before tipping extra. |
| Buffet | 10% | Lower because there's less service. |
| Takeout | 0–10% | Small tip for large orders or hand-packaging. |
How to tip at a restaurant
The rule in most Western countries: 18% on the pre-tax subtotal is your safe default at a sit-down restaurant. Bump to 20% for good service, drop to 15% for service that genuinely missed, and only go under 15% when you want the server to know something was wrong — and even then, consider talking to the manager instead.
The math
The quick trick for 20% is to move the decimal one place left and double it:
- Bill is $47.50 → 10% is $4.75 → 20% is $9.50.
For 18%, take 20% and knock 10% off:
- $9.50 − $0.95 ≈ $8.55.
Or use the calculator above. That's what it's for.
Splitting the bill when orders were uneven
This is where dinners go sideways. If four people ordered and one person had a steak + two cocktails while another had a side salad and water, splitting the total four ways means the salad person effectively bought the steak person's drinks.
Three options, from worst to best:
- Equal split. Fast, but only fair if the orders were genuinely similar. Great for a round-number bill. Bad for mixed orders.
- Split by section. Everyone pays for their own entrée, then splits appetisers and drinks equally. Reasonable for most groups.
- Split by item, proportional tax and tip. Each person pays exactly for what they ordered, plus their share of tax and tip in proportion to their subtotal. This is the fairest and it's what Supasplit does automatically — take a photo of the receipt, tap items to assign them, and the app handles the math.
Auto-gratuity traps
For parties of 6 or more, most US restaurants add 18–20% gratuity automatically. Two things to know:
- Don't double-tip. If the receipt already has "gratuity" on it, you've tipped. The tip line at the bottom is optional and most groups leave it blank.
- Auto-gratuity is legally a service charge, not a tip. In some jurisdictions this affects how it's taxed and how it's distributed to staff. If you want a specific server to get more money, tip them extra in cash.
Frequently asked questions
Do I tip on the food only, or the total with drinks?
Drinks are part of the check — tip on the total food and drink subtotal (pre-tax). Some people tip less on wine markups when the sommelier wasn't involved, but 18–20% on everything is the cleanest approach.
What if service was genuinely bad?
15% is the floor that still signals "noticed but didn't want to start a fight." Below 12% tells the server you had a problem — only do this if you'd also be willing to explain why. Better: leave 15% and tell a manager what happened. It actually leads to changes.
Is tipping required on takeout?
Not really. A few dollars on a large takeout order or a 10% tip if staff hand-packed a complicated order is gracious. For a single sandwich handed across a counter, no tip is fine.
How do I split the restaurant bill if one person didn't drink?
Two options. The fair way: each person pays for what they ordered, plus their share of tax and tip (Supasplit does this). The quick way: everyone pays for their entrée separately and the drinkers split the drinks among themselves.
Do I tip if service charge is already included?
No. If the bill shows "service charge," "gratuity," or "service compris," that's the tip. Adding another 20% on top is generous but not expected. Double-check that the charge actually goes to staff — in most modern jurisdictions it does, by law.