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Bill splitting guide

How to Split a Bill with a Tip

A bill split is simple arithmetic, but service charges, card fees and different orders make the fair share a judgement call.

4practical sections, a worked example and a free worksheet.

Step 01

Understand the calculation.

The calculator shows the tip, total, per-person amount and total per person so the arithmetic is easy to check.

  • Tip = bill × tip rate.
  • Total = bill + tip.
  • Per person = total ÷ number of people.
  • Total per person = tip share plus bill share.

Step 02

Worked example: a £50 bill at 10% for two.

The tip is £5 and the total is £55. Each person pays £27.50.

Changing the tip to 12.5% makes the total £56.25 and each person's share £28.13.

Step 03

Check for an existing service charge.

If a service charge is already included, tipping on top is a personal choice rather than a calculation requirement.

  • Is a service charge already included in the bill?
  • Are card fees, rounding or minimum charges applied?
  • Do some people owe more because their orders differ?
  • What is the local tipping convention?

Step 04

Split different shares when needed.

The tip calculator splits the total evenly. For different orders, calculate each person's own bill and tip share separately, or use the shared-bills splitter for itemised lines.

This guide is general planning help, not etiquette or financial advice.

Free reusable resource

Keep a practical worksheet.

Download a blank, editable file and keep the plan with your own records. No email address is required.

Tip splitting worksheet

Record the bill, tip percentage, people, totals and the service-charge or rounding notes that affect the final share.

Download CSV