How to Calculate a Restaurant Tip Quickly

Calculating a tip doesn't require pulling out your phone. Once you know the basic technique, you can figure out any tip amount in a few seconds.

The Fastest Method: Double the Tax

In most US states, sales tax is 6–8%. Doubling the tax line on your receipt gives roughly a 12–16% tip — a reasonable starting point that most servers consider acceptable. For better service, round up.

The 10% Base Method

• Find 10% of the total: move the decimal one place left ($47.50 → $4.75)
• For 15%: take 10% + half of 10% ($4.75 + $2.38 = $7.13)
• For 20%: double the 10% ($4.75 × 2 = $9.50)
• For 25%: take 10% × 2 + 5% ($9.50 + $2.38 = $11.88)

Common Tipping Conventions (US)

• Sit-down restaurant: 15–20% (20–25% for excellent service)
• Bar: $1–2 per drink, or 15–20%
• Food delivery: 15–20% (pre-tax, on the food subtotal)
• Taxi / rideshare: 10–20%
• Hotel housekeeping: $2–5 per night

Splitting the Bill

To split evenly: calculate the total including tip, then divide by the number of people. For unequal splits, add each person's items, then multiply their share by (1 + tip rate). App-based bill splitting tools handle this automatically, but understanding the math helps when the app isn't handy.