Restaurant bill splitter
The card machine is waiting. Enter the total, choose a tip, set how many are eating, and read the number out loud.
Short answer
Enter the bill total, choose a tip percentage, add tax if it isn't already included, and set the number of diners — the calculator gives the exact amount each person pays, adjusted for rounding to the last penny or cent.
Number of diners
Each person pays
$0.00
- Total
- $0.00
Different people ordered very different things?
Open full group expense calculatorHow it works
- 1Enter the bill total exactly as printed.
- 2Tap a tip preset — 15% and 18% are one tap away.
- 3Add tax as a percentage if it is not already included.
- 4Set the number of diners and read the per-person figure.
Splitting at the table has one constraint nothing else does: speed. Nobody wants to hold up the group doing long division on their phone while the card machine is waiting, so this page is built to take four numbers and return one answer immediately.
It assumes an even split, which is right for most restaurant meals where everyone roughly shared courses and drinks. If the group ordered very unevenly — someone had three cocktails, someone else had tap water — an even split will feel unfair even though the maths is correct; that's a signal to itemise instead, not a maths problem.
Tip and tax handling matters more at restaurants than almost anywhere else, because both are usually percentages applied to a total that people are simultaneously trying to divide — get the order of operations right and the number is trustworthy.
Worked examples with real numbers
Six for dinner, 18% tip, tax already on the menu
The bill comes to 264 with tax already included in the prices shown. The group agrees an 18% tip on top, split evenly six ways.
| Bill breakdown | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bill total (tax included) | 264.00 |
| Tip (18%) | 47.52 |
| Total to pay | 311.52 |
| Total | 623.04 |
311.52 divided by six is 51.92 each — no separate tax step needed since it was already folded into the menu prices.
Four people, tax added at the till, no tip expected
A casual lunch bill is 58 before tax. Local tax adds 8%, and no tip is customary, split evenly between four.
| Bill breakdown | Amount |
|---|---|
| Subtotal | 58.00 |
| Tax (8%) | 4.64 |
| Total to pay | 62.64 |
| Total | 125.28 |
62.64 divided by four is 15.66 each, with the extra penny going onto whoever's paying the card.
Restaurant bill maths
1. Check what's already included
look at the printed total — is tax shown separately or folded in?
2. Add tax if needed
subtotal × (1 + tax%) = pre-tip total
3. Add tip
pre-tip total × (1 + tip%) = grand total
4. Divide evenly
grand total ÷ number of diners = each person's share
Even split vs itemised split
| Situation | Best approach |
|---|---|
| Everyone ordered similar courses and drinks | Even split — this page |
| One or two people ordered much more or less | Itemise their items separately, split the rest evenly |
| Someone doesn't drink alcohol and others had several rounds | Split food evenly, split drinks only among those who drank |
| Large group, mixed orders throughout | Use the full group calculator with per-item entries |
Mistakes that cause arguments
Tipping on a total that already includes a service charge
Check the bottom of the bill for a service charge line before adding a tip percentage on top — many restaurants already add one, especially for larger groups.
Splitting evenly when someone left before dessert
If a person's share should exclude items ordered after they left, that's no longer an even split — move to itemised splitting rather than forcing a fair-seeming average.
Not agreeing the tip percentage before ordering
Disagreements about tip size are easier to resolve before the total is known than after, when it feels personal.
Practical tips
- Agree the tip percentage as a group before the bill arrives so nobody feels put on the spot.
- If the restaurant already added a service charge, treat that as the tip rather than adding another one.
- For big groups, ask if the restaurant will split the card payment directly — some can charge each person separately at the till.
- Round the final per-person number up to the nearest convenient amount if paying cash, to avoid dealing with small change.
Questions
- Should I tip on the pre-tax total?
- Customs differ. This calculator applies both tip and tax to the amount you type, so if you want to tip pre-tax, enter the pre-tax subtotal and add tax after.
- How do we handle one person ordering much more?
- Switch to the full group calculator and add their extra dish as a separate expense with only them as participant.
- Can I split drinks separately from food?
- Yes — in the full calculator log food and drinks as two expenses with different participants.