Splitting the bill guide
Split any check fairly in seconds. Enter the bill total, add tax and tip, and set the number of people. Each person sees exactly what they owe, down to the cent. The split bill calculator below divides the full total evenly, so no one overpays and dinner ends without awkward math at the table.
Your tip, total, and per-person share, updated as you type.
Each person pays the full total divided by the number of people in the group. The full total means the check plus tax plus tip. On a $153.60 total split four ways, each person pays $38.40. The calculator does the division for you and shows the tip, the total, and each share in one clear breakdown.
Even splits work best when everyone ordered about the same amount. If one person ordered far more, settle by item instead. The guide to splitting a bill fairly shows five methods, and the tax and tip guide shows the right order for the math.
Tip on the pre-tax subtotal to follow the standard custom. The gap between pre-tax and post-tax tipping is small, often a dollar or two, so either way works if the group agrees first.
Add tax to the check, figure the tip on the pre-tax subtotal, add the tip, and divide by the number of people. That order keeps every share fair and the math simple. On a $120 check with $9.60 tax and a $24 tip, four people pay $38.40 each. Use the calculator above to get your own numbers in seconds.
Enter the check total, pick a tip percentage, and set the number of people splitting. The calculator works out the tip amount, the grand total, and each person's share at once. It handles tax and tip in the right order, so every share is fair and no one has to do math at the table.
Type the pre-tax check total from the receipt. If tax is listed on its own line, use the "Add tax" option on the calculator and keep "Pre-tax bill" selected, so the tip is figured before tax and every person pays an equal share of tax too.
Tap 15%, 18%, or 20%, or type your own number. Twenty percent is the standard tip for good service at a sit-down restaurant in the US.
Set how many people are splitting the check. The calculator divides the tip and the total evenly and shows what each person pays.
Each person pays $76.80 with two people, $51.20 with three, $38.40 with four, $30.72 with five, and $25.60 with six. All rows use the same $120 check with $9.60 tax and a 20% tip on the pre-tax subtotal, for a $153.60 total. Find your group size in the left column and read across to see each share.
| People | Check and tax | Tip at 20% | Total | Each person pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $129.60 | $24.00 | $153.60 | $76.80 |
| 3 | $129.60 | $24.00 | $153.60 | $51.20 |
| 4 | $129.60 | $24.00 | $153.60 | $38.40 |
| 5 | $129.60 | $24.00 | $153.60 | $30.72 |
| 6 | $129.60 | $24.00 | $153.60 | $25.60 |
Tip is figured on the $120 pre-tax subtotal. Use the calculator above for your own check total and group size.
Four friends share a $120 dinner check before tax. Tax adds $9.60, and a 20% tip on the pre-tax subtotal adds $24. The full total is $153.60, and each friend pays $38.40. The steps below show the same math the calculator runs, so you can check every number yourself before anyone pays.
Tip Amount = Bill Amount × Tip Percentage
Each Share = (Bill + Tax + Tip) / Number of People
For example: $120 + $9.60 + $24 = $153.60. Split four ways: $153.60 / 4 = $38.40 per person.
Round each share to the nearest dollar when the group prefers cash. Four shares of $39 total $156, which leaves $2.40 extra for the server. Rounding up is a kind move, and it ends the hunt for exact change.
If one friend only had a salad while the rest had full dinners, an even split feels unfair. Settle shared items evenly and add each person's own dishes on top. The guides below explain when to split evenly and when to split by item.
The method
Add the tip to the check first, then divide the full total by the number of people. On a $96 check with tip, four people pay $24 each. Splitting the total, not the pre-tip check, keeps the tip fair, because everyone shares the tip in the same share as the meal.
Each on a $96 check with tip. The simplest split there is.
Each on a $96 check with tip. Even thirds, down to the cent.
Each on a $96 check with tip. The standard dinner-party split.
Even splits work when everyone ordered about the same. When one person ordered a $60 steak and drinks while another had a $15 salad and water, an even split is not fair, and everyone at the table knows it. Settle by item in that case: each person pays for what they ordered, plus their share of tax, tip, and shared plates. The calculator handles the even split. The item split needs the receipt and five honest minutes.
What changes it
Uneven orders, shared plates, drinks, tax, and the tip itself all change the split. The order of operations matters more than the arithmetic: tax and tip go on before the split, shared plates split evenly, and personal orders stay personal.
Settle by item when the gap is big. An even split overcharges the light eater and undercharges the big spender by the same amount.
Shared appetizers, shared sides, and shared desserts split evenly across the table, whatever the personal orders were.
Drinkers pay for drinks. A non-drinker never subsidizes the bar tab, and the split should show it.
Tax splits with the total on an even split, or by item share on an item split. Either way, tax is shared, never skipped.
Figure the tip on the pre-tax check, then split the total. Splitting before the tip leaves someone short at the end.
Whoever invited covers more when they offered to treat. Say so before ordering, not after, when it sounds like a rescue.
The data
Because money between friends is awkward, and the awkwardness costs real money. A Bankrate survey of 2,474 US adults in September 2025 found that 69% had lent money or covered a group expense with the expectation of being paid back, and 55% of those people had a negative experience in the process.
Of US adults had lent money or covered a group expense with the expectation of being paid back, per Bankrate (2025).
Of those people lost money in the process. Another 26% suffered a damaged relationship over it.
The same survey found that 44% of people who covered a group expense lost money, and 26% suffered a damaged relationship over it. Settling at the table, with real numbers, before anyone leaves, fixes most of it. A calculator that shows each share down to the cent removes the negotiation, and a settled bill never becomes a grudge.
Agree the method before ordering. "Even split" and "pay for what you ordered" are both fine, and both cause fights when they are assumed instead of said. One sentence before the menus open saves the twenty-minute negotiation at the end, and it saves the friend who ordered water from paying for someone else's cocktails.
Tricky situations
Four situations cause most of the trouble with splits: one person ordered far more, the card machine splits but the tip does not, the Venmo that never comes, and the birthday guest nobody agreed to cover. Each has a simple answer.
Settle by item, and say it kindly and early. "Let's each cover what we ordered" is a normal sentence, and it lands better before the bill arrives than after.
Check that each card's share includes its part of the tip. A split that divides the check but leaves one card holding the whole tip is a short tip, not a split.
Settle at the table. "Later" is how the 44% in the Bankrate survey lost money. A share shown on a screen and paid on the spot never needs chasing.
The group covers the guest only when it was agreed before ordering. A surprise cover at the end of the meal is a bill nobody budgeted for.
Worked example
Three friends share a $120 check before tax. Ana ordered $55 of food and drinks, Ben ordered $40, and Cleo ordered $25. Tax is 8%, and the tip is 20% on the pre-tax total. The full total is $153.60, and the fair shares are $70.40, $51.20, and $32.00.
Tax: $120 × 0.08 = $9.60 · Tip: $120 × 0.20 = $24.00
Total: $120 + $9.60 + $24.00 = $153.60
Ana: $55 × 1.28 = $70.40 · Ben: $40 × 1.28 = $51.20 · Cleo: $25 × 1.28 = $32.00
An even split would charge each person $51.20, which overcharges Cleo by $19.20 and undercharges Ana by the same amount. The item split takes one extra minute and keeps the friendship intact.
Most split bill questions come down to three things: the right order for tax and tip, what to do when orders cost different amounts, and how the math works on a real check. The answers below cover each one with real dollar examples. If your question is about tip rates, the restaurant calculator below has the full breakdown.
Figure the tip on the pre-tax subtotal, add the tax and the tip to the subtotal, then divide the full total by the number of people. On a $120 check with $9.60 tax and a $24 tip, the total is $153.60. Split four ways, each person pays $38.40. The calculator above does each step for you.
Figure the tip on the pre-tax subtotal. That is the long-standing custom, because sales tax is not part of the service you received. The difference is small on most checks, often a dollar or two, so tipping on the full total is also fine. What matters most is that the group agrees on one method before anyone pays.
An even split is not fair when one order costs far more than the rest. In that case, have each person pay for their own items plus an equal share of tax and tip. Or split the shared items evenly and add each person's own dishes on top. Five fair methods are explained in our bill splitting guide.
Figure the tip first: 20% of $96 is $19.20, so the total is $115.20. Divide $115.20 by three, and each person pays $38.40. If the group rounds up to $39 each, the server gets $1.80 extra and nobody hunts for coins. The calculator shows the tip, the total, and each share in one breakdown.
The restaurant and percentage calculators cover table service and quick rate checks. See all tip calculators on the calculators hub when you need a different tool.
Free, no sign-up
Use the split bill calculator above to get the exact tip, total, and each person's share in seconds. Enter the check, pick a percentage, and set the group size. It is free, it needs no sign-up, and it shows every number in the breakdown so the whole table can see the math.
Add as a preferred source on Google