Tip Calculator
Work out a tip on a UK restaurant bill at 10%, 12.5%, 15% — or any rate — and split the total between any number of people.
Splitting £67.50 between 2 people.
Results update as you type.
Formula
One line of arithmetic:
tip = bill × (percent / 100),
then total = bill + tip. The
per-person figures divide each by the number of people sharing the bill —
an even split. The preset buttons reflect the typical service-charge rates
for the region, but the field accepts any rate you type.
When this calculator helps
Reach for this calculator at the end of a meal out, when the bill arrives and someone has to work out a fair tip and how to divide everything between the table. It takes the bill, applies whatever rate you choose, and tells you the tip, the new total and the amount each person owes — all in one step, so nobody is doing percentages in their head while the card machine waits.
It is just as handy before you go: deciding whether 10% or 12.5% feels right for the place you are booking, or sanity-checking the suggested service charge a restaurant has printed on the menu. Because UK tipping is discretionary rather than fixed, the calculator is there to help you land on a number you are comfortable with, not to tell you what you must pay.
How to read your result
The result has three parts: the tip itself, the grand total once the tip is added, and the per-person share when you split between diners. The tip is simply your chosen percentage of the bill you entered; the total is what leaves your account; the split is that total divided evenly across the group.
In the UK most people tip on the figure they are handed, which already includes VAT, and that is what this calculator assumes. If you would rather tip on the pre-VAT amount you can work the net out separately and enter that as the bill. The bigger thing to check is whether an optional service charge is already on the bill — if it is, you have effectively tipped already, and the tip shown here is extra on top.
A worked example
Four of you have dinner and the bill comes to £80. You decide 12.5% feels fair for good service, so the tip is £10 and the total is £90. Split four ways, that is £22.50 each. If the restaurant had already added a £10 optional service charge, you would leave the tip field at zero — the £80 already includes the gratuity — and simply split the £80 into £20 a head.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most tipping slip-ups in the UK come down to not reading the bill closely before adding a number.
- Tipping on top of an optional service charge that is already on the bill — check the itemised total first, or you will pay twice.
- Adding the tip to the VAT-inclusive total when you meant to tip on the pre-VAT amount — decide which you want before you enter the figure.
- Rounding the per-person split awkwardly so the total collected does not match the bill — round up gently rather than leaving the table short.
- Assuming a tip added to a card payment reaches the staff — cash is more certain, though the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 has tightened the rules.
Tipping culture in the UK
Tipping in Britain is modest and discretionary. A figure of 10% has long been the baseline for table service, with 12.5% now the common automatic service charge in chain restaurants and 15% counting as generous. Crucially, that service charge is optional — for a sit-down meal you are within your rights to ask for it to be removed if the service was poor, and walking out without tipping is socially acceptable when the experience genuinely did not warrant one.
Beyond restaurants the expectation drops away quickly. Tipping is not the norm in pubs, counter-service cafés or for takeaway, and for taxis most people simply round up to the nearest pound. The golden rule is to look at the bill before reaching for your card: if a service charge is already there, you have tipped, and anything this calculator shows is extra you are free to skip.
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Frequently asked questions
Do you tip in the UK?▾
Tipping in the UK is discretionary, not obligatory. Restaurants commonly suggest 10–12.5%, often added automatically as an optional 'service charge'. If service is included on the bill, you don't need to tip again. For taxis many people round up, and for pubs tipping isn't typical at all. Always check whether the service charge is already on the bill before adding more.
Is service charge the same as a tip?▾
Sort of. A service charge is a tip the restaurant has added to the bill on your behalf — usually 10% or 12.5%. It's almost always 'optional' (legally so for unticketed sit-down meals), and you can ask for it to be removed if the service was poor. If it's already on the bill, this calculator's tip output is the extra you'd add on top, which most people skip.
How much should I tip in a UK restaurant?▾
10% is the long-standing baseline for table service; 12.5% has become the more common automatic service charge in chain restaurants; 15% is generous. Counter-service, fast-casual, and takeaway don't usually expect a tip. Cash tips are more likely to reach staff directly than tips added to a card payment, though the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 now requires employers to pass on all tips fairly to staff.
Should I tip the same on the bill before or after VAT?▾
Most people just tip on the total they're handed. Tipping on the post-VAT figure is the simpler default and what this calculator assumes. If you want to tip on the pre-VAT amount, work out the net first with the VAT calculator, then enter that as the bill here.
How is the tip split when we share a bill?▾
The calculator divides the tipped total by the number of people. That's an even split — each person pays the same. If individual orders varied a lot, you might split based on what each person ordered instead, then apply the tip rate to each share separately. Even-split is the social default and what this tool gives you.