Orpheus

Split a Bill Between People

With tip, tax and the odd remainder handled.

Inputs
15%
Bill already includes tax

If it does, the tip below is calculated on the pre-tax amount instead.

8%

How many are paying a double share.

Each pays
29.53
Total with tip
147.66
Tip
19.26
Rounded evenly
29.53 each
Odd pennies
1 × 1p to whoever settles up
each = (bill + tip) ÷ people

147.66 does not divide evenly by 5. Everyone pays 29.53 and one person covers 1 extra penny — otherwise rounding each share separately loses 0.01.

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Add the tip to the bill and divide by the number of people. When it does not divide evenly, one person takes the odd pennies — rounding each share separately leaves the total short.

How to use Bill Splitter

  1. Enter the bill and the number of people. Plus how many are covering someone else, if any.
  2. Set the tip. And say whether the bill already includes tax, so the tip is calculated on the right base.
  3. Read the shares. Including who takes the odd pennies.

About splitting a bill

Splitting a bill is division with two complications that people encounter every time and rarely resolve properly. The first is what the tip is calculated on. American convention is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, since tax is not a service the restaurant provided, and plenty of people tip on the total because it is easier. On typical bills the difference is a pound or two, so consistency is worth more than the precise rule. Where the bill already has tax baked in, the pre-tax figure has to be recovered by dividing rather than by subtracting a percentage — a distinction that catches people out for the same reason margin and markup do. The second is rounding, and it is the one that quietly goes wrong. Dividing a total that does not split evenly and rounding each share independently produces a set of payments that does not equal the bill: sometimes short, sometimes over, depending on where the fractions fall. Across five people that is a few pence and across a large group it can be a pound or more, which is enough for someone to notice and nobody to be able to explain. Dividing to the smallest unit and assigning the remainder to a single person keeps the arithmetic exact. It is also usually better to think in shares rather than people. Anyone covering a guest is paying two shares, and modelling it that way is more robust than splitting evenly and then adjusting one person afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Convention in the United States is pre-tax, though many people tip on the total for simplicity. On a 100 bill with 8% tax the difference at 20% is about 1.60. Either is defensible; being consistent matters more than which you choose.
Why do the shares not add up to the total?
Because rounding each share to the nearest penny independently loses or invents money. Five people splitting 100.03 each rounding to 20.01 pay 100.05. The right approach is to divide to the penny and give the remainder to one person.
How do I handle someone paying for another person?
Count shares rather than people. Five diners where one covers a guest is six shares, not five, and the person covering pays two of them. This is more reliable than trying to adjust one person's amount after the fact.
Is an even split fair when people ordered differently?
It is the usual convention and it stops being reasonable when the difference is large — one person on a starter and water against a table sharing wine and steak. In that case splitting by item and sharing only tax and tip proportionally is the fairer approach.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
No, and it is worth checking the bill. A service charge is added by the restaurant and is often already included, in which case adding a tip on top is tipping twice. Whether the charge reaches staff varies by country and by establishment.

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