How to Split a Restaurant Bill
Start with two decisions: which charges belong in the split, and whether everyone is paying an equal share. Once those are agreed, the calculator can turn the receipt into payment amounts.
Read the receipt before entering numbers
Find the food and drink subtotal, tax, any added charge, and the final total. Do not enter a tax-inclusive total and add the same tax again. If an automatic gratuity or service charge is already included, decide whether the group wants any extra tip before choosing a percentage. Our receipt-charge guide explains that distinction.
All examples below are fictional USD calculations. The 8% tax is an illustrative input, not a local restaurant tax rate. The chosen tip is an agreement for the example, not a universal tipping rule.
Method 1: split the final cost equally
Use equal mode when everyone agrees to the same share. It supports one to 100 paying shares. A paying share can mean a diner or an agreed household; make that choice explicit before setting the number.
Five diners, $150 subtotal
- Select USD and Split Bills Equally.
- Enter 150 as the bill.
- Select Add tax and enter 8%.
- Choose 20% tip and Tip before tax.
- Set five people.
Tax is $12 and tip is $30. The final total is $192, so each share is $38.40.
If you already have the $192 final amount including the intended tip, enter 192 with tax already included and No tip. You get the same split. These are two ways of entering the same dinner, not two amounts to add together.
For a final total of $100 among three, the distribution is two payments of $33.33 and one of $33.34. Read the distribution message below the large result. The rounding guide explains who gets remainder units in each mode.
Method 2: assign each person's order total
Use person mode when orders differ. Add up the food and drink assigned to each diner first; the tool does not take individual dish assignments. Divide shared dishes among their participants before entering the totals.
| Diner | Order | Tax | Tip | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | $20.00 | $1.60 | $4.00 | $25.60 |
| Blair | $30.00 | $2.40 | $4.00 | $36.40 |
| Casey | $10.00 | $0.80 | $4.00 | $14.80 |
| Total | $60.00 | $4.80 | $12.00 | $76.80 |
To reproduce it, enter 20, 30, and 10 in Split by Person, add 8% tax, and set a fixed $12 tip. A 20% tip gives the same total here because 20% of $60 is $12.
Tax is proportional to orders, but tip is equal among the three positive rows. If you want each diner to tip proportionally instead, this mode does not implement that rule. Work out the intended amounts on the worksheet rather than silently using the equal-tip result.
Check the assumptions that change a result
- A zero-order row receives no added tax or tip. It does not represent a hosted guest whose meal disappears from the bill.
- Person mode supports one tax percentage for the combined subtotal. A receipt with differently taxed categories needs separate allocation.
- Currency selection changes formatting and precision, not exchange rates.
- A household row counts as one eligible tip participant. Grouping diners can therefore change tip shares.
- Negative reimbursements, discounts, deposits, and multiple payers are not separate calculator inputs. Reconcile them against the receipt outside the tool.
Before anyone sends money
Compare the calculator subtotal with the assigned orders, then compare its grand total with the agreed restaurant payment. Show the result to the group. Copy or share the result text, remembering that the website link does not save the entered bill.
Once one person pays, use the repayment guide to track collections. If the disagreement is about the method rather than the arithmetic, the etiquette guide offers wording for that conversation.