Money & Pricing Tables
Tip Table: Gratuity by Bill and Percentage
A tip table is trivial arithmetic with a social convention wrapped around it. The multiplication is bill times rate; the hard part is knowing which rate applies, whether the tax is included, and whether the restaurant has already added a service charge. Getting the arithmetic right on the wrong base is the most common way a tip goes wrong.
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The US convention is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, because sales tax is a payment to the state and the server did not perform any additional service to earn it. On a $100 bill with 8% tax the difference between tipping on the subtotal and the total is 64 cents at 20%, small enough that most people ignore it — but on a $600 catered event it is $9.60.
The rates below cover the range in actual use. Ten percent is now considered low for table service in the US but remains standard in much of Europe, where it is often already included. Fifteen percent was the US default until the 2000s. Eighteen to twenty percent is the current range for restaurant service, and twenty-five percent appears on some tablet payment screens as a pre-set option.
Tip amount by bill and percentage
| Bill | 10% | 15% | 18% | 20% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.00 | $1.50 | $1.80 | $2.00 | $2.50 |
| $15 | $1.50 | $2.25 | $2.70 | $3.00 | $3.75 |
| $20 | $2.00 | $3.00 | $3.60 | $4.00 | $5.00 |
| $25 | $2.50 | $3.75 | $4.50 | $5.00 | $6.25 |
| $30 | $3.00 | $4.50 | $5.40 | $6.00 | $7.50 |
| $40 | $4.00 | $6.00 | $7.20 | $8.00 | $10.00 |
| $50 | $5.00 | $7.50 | $9.00 | $10.00 | $12.50 |
| $60 | $6.00 | $9.00 | $10.80 | $12.00 | $15.00 |
| $75 | $7.50 | $11.25 | $13.50 | $15.00 | $18.75 |
| $100 | $10.00 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | $25.00 |
| $125 | $12.50 | $18.75 | $22.50 | $25.00 | $31.25 |
| $150 | $15.00 | $22.50 | $27.00 | $30.00 | $37.50 |
| $200 | $20.00 | $30.00 | $36.00 | $40.00 | $50.00 |
| $250 | $25.00 | $37.50 | $45.00 | $50.00 | $62.50 |
Twenty percent is the current US restaurant default for table service. Fifteen percent is the older standard and still normal for counter service where someone brings the food.
Total to pay, bill plus tip
| Bill | 15% total | 18% total | 20% total | 25% total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $11.50 | $11.80 | $12.00 | $12.50 |
| $15 | $17.25 | $17.70 | $18.00 | $18.75 |
| $20 | $23.00 | $23.60 | $24.00 | $25.00 |
| $25 | $28.75 | $29.50 | $30.00 | $31.25 |
| $30 | $34.50 | $35.40 | $36.00 | $37.50 |
| $40 | $46.00 | $47.20 | $48.00 | $50.00 |
| $50 | $57.50 | $59.00 | $60.00 | $62.50 |
| $60 | $69.00 | $70.80 | $72.00 | $75.00 |
| $75 | $86.25 | $88.50 | $90.00 | $93.75 |
| $100 | $115.00 | $118.00 | $120.00 | $125.00 |
| $125 | $143.75 | $147.50 | $150.00 | $156.25 |
| $150 | $172.50 | $177.00 | $180.00 | $187.50 |
| $200 | $230.00 | $236.00 | $240.00 | $250.00 |
| $250 | $287.50 | $295.00 | $300.00 | $312.50 |
Read this column when you are handing over a card and want the final figure rather than the tip. A $60 bill at 20% is $72.00 in total.
Per-person share of a 20% tip, by party size
| Bill | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $6.00 | $4.00 | $3.00 | $2.40 | $2.00 |
| $15 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $4.50 | $3.60 | $3.00 |
| $20 | $12.00 | $8.00 | $6.00 | $4.80 | $4.00 |
| $25 | $15.00 | $10.00 | $7.50 | $6.00 | $5.00 |
| $30 | $18.00 | $12.00 | $9.00 | $7.20 | $6.00 |
| $40 | $24.00 | $16.00 | $12.00 | $9.60 | $8.00 |
| $50 | $30.00 | $20.00 | $15.00 | $12.00 | $10.00 |
| $60 | $36.00 | $24.00 | $18.00 | $14.40 | $12.00 |
| $75 | $45.00 | $30.00 | $22.50 | $18.00 | $15.00 |
| $100 | $60.00 | $40.00 | $30.00 | $24.00 | $20.00 |
| $125 | $75.00 | $50.00 | $37.50 | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| $150 | $90.00 | $60.00 | $45.00 | $36.00 | $30.00 |
| $200 | $120.00 | $80.00 | $60.00 | $48.00 | $40.00 |
| $250 | $150.00 | $100.00 | $75.00 | $60.00 | $50.00 |
Splitting evenly is the convention unless someone ordered noticeably more. Many US restaurants add an automatic 18% service charge to parties of six or more, in which case this column double-counts.
Quick mental arithmetic: 10% and 20% of common bills
| Bill | 10% (move the decimal) | 20% (double the 10%) | 15% (10% plus half) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.00 | $2.00 | $1.50 |
| $15 | $1.50 | $3.00 | $2.25 |
| $20 | $2.00 | $4.00 | $3.00 |
| $25 | $2.50 | $5.00 | $3.75 |
| $30 | $3.00 | $6.00 | $4.50 |
| $40 | $4.00 | $8.00 | $6.00 |
| $50 | $5.00 | $10.00 | $7.50 |
| $60 | $6.00 | $12.00 | $9.00 |
| $75 | $7.50 | $15.00 | $11.25 |
| $100 | $10.00 | $20.00 | $15.00 |
| $125 | $12.50 | $25.00 | $18.75 |
| $150 | $15.00 | $30.00 | $22.50 |
| $200 | $20.00 | $40.00 | $30.00 |
| $250 | $25.00 | $50.00 | $37.50 |
The 10% figure is the bill with the decimal point moved one place left. Everything else is built from it: 15% is 10% plus half of 10%, and 20% is double.
How to Use These Tables
- Standard restaurant service: read the 20% column. A $74 bill takes a $14.80 tip, for $88.80 total.
- Mental arithmetic: move the decimal one place left for 10%, then double for 20% or add half again for 15%. On $86, 10% is $8.60, so 20% is $17.20 and 15% is $12.90.
- Groups: use the per-person table only after checking the bill for an automatic service charge, which most US restaurants apply at six or more diners.
- Delivery and taxis: 10 to 15% is conventional, calculated on the food total rather than on fees. On a $40 order that is $4 to $6.
- Bars: a dollar or two per drink rather than a percentage, which on a $14 cocktail works out close to 15%.
Common Questions
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Pre-tax is the convention in the US, since the tax is not part of the service. The difference is small — under 1% of the bill at typical tax rates — but it is the technically correct base.
Is 15% still acceptable?
For table service in the US it reads as below average. Fifteen percent remains normal in Canada and for counter service, and in much of Europe a service charge is already included so any extra is a rounding-up gesture.
What if the bill already includes a service charge?
Then the tip is already paid. Adding 20% on top of an 18% service charge means tipping 38%, which happens often enough that some cities require the charge to be printed prominently.
How much should I tip for takeout?
Nothing is required for counter pickup. Ten percent is common if the order was large or specially packed. The labour involved is packing, not table service, which is why the restaurant default does not apply.
Why does 20% feel like more than it used to?
Because it is. The US default moved from 15% to 18-20% over roughly two decades, partly through payment terminals that present 18, 20 and 25% as the visible options. The arithmetic has not changed; the anchor has.
How do I split a bill with an uneven tip?
Total the bill plus tip, then divide by the number of people. Dividing the bill first and adding a rounded tip per person tends to drift low, because each person rounds down.
More Money & Pricing Tables
Sources
- Tipped employees and the tip credit under the Fair Labor Standards Act — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- Restaurant service charges and mandatory gratuities — consumer guidance — Federal Trade Commission
- Consumer price index — food away from home — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Filed with Everyday Life calculations.