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How Much Should You Tip? A Practical Guide
Tipping rules change by country and situation. Learn the standard percentages for restaurants, bars, taxis and delivery, how to work a tip out in your head, and how to split a bill fairly.
Updated 28 August 2026 · 2 min read
Tipping is one of those everyday calculations that causes a surprising amount of stress — partly because the maths happens at the table, and partly because the "right" amount depends heavily on where you are and what the service was. Here's a clear guide to the percentages and a couple of tricks to work them out without reaching for your phone.
The rough percentages by situation
These vary by country, but as a widely used starting point:
- Sit-down restaurant — around 15–20% of the bill in the US; often 10–12.5% in the UK and much of Europe, where a service charge may already be included.
- Bars — a small amount per drink, or 10–15% on a tab.
- Taxis and rideshares — roughly 10–15%, or simply rounding up the fare.
- Food delivery — around 10–15%, with a little extra in bad weather.
- Cafés and takeaways — optional; rounding up or dropping change in the jar is common.
Working a tip out in your head
The easy path runs through 10%. Find 10% by moving the decimal one place left, then build the tip from it:
This is the same "percentage of a number" trick that underpins all the everyday percentage sums in our percentages guide. When you'd rather not do it at the table — especially when splitting — the tip calculator does the percentage and the split in one go.
Splitting the bill fairly
The fairest way to split is to add the tip to the total first, then divide by the number of people — that way everyone contributes proportionally to the tip, not just whoever does the maths. The tip calculator shows the total, the per-person amount and the tip per person once you enter how many are sharing.
One note on percentages people often get wrong: a tip is calculated on the pre-tax bill in places where tax is added separately, so you don't tip on the tax. And if you're rounding for simplicity, round the total up rather than down — it's the friendlier error.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a 15% or 20% tip standard?
- It depends where you are. In the US, 18–20% is common for good table service; in the UK and much of Europe, 10–12.5% is more typical, and a service charge is often already included. Always check the bill for a service charge before adding more.
- Should I tip on the total including tax?
- Generally no — where tax is added as a separate line, the tip is worked out on the pre-tax bill. Tipping on the tax as well slightly overpays, though many people round up anyway for simplicity.