Bill Splitter
This bill splitter divides a restaurant check by what each person ordered, splits shared plates among the people who had them, and shares out the tax and tip so the totals match the receipt to the cent.
Total bill
- Ann pays Pasta $18.00, wine 1/3 of $40.00, appetizer 1/3 of $14.00, dessert 1/2 of $9.00. $40.50 food and drink + $3.34 tax + $8.10 tip.
- $51.94
- Ben pays Steak $32.00, wine 1/3 of $40.00, appetizer 1/3 of $14.00, dessert 1/2 of $9.00. $54.50 food and drink + $4.50 tax + $10.90 tip.
- $69.90
- Cara pays Salad $14.00, wine 1/3 of $40.00, appetizer 1/3 of $14.00. $32.00 food and drink + $2.64 tax + $6.40 tip.
- $41.04
- Subtotal 6 items.
- $127.00
- Tax 8.25% of $127.00, rounded to the cent.
- $10.48
- Tip 20% of $127.00, the pre-tax subtotal.
- $25.40
- Total bill
- $162.88
- Shares add up to $51.94 + $69.90 + $41.04, the whole bill to the cent.
- $162.88
- Split evenly instead Ann would pay $2.36 more, Ben would pay $15.61 less, Cara would pay $13.25 more.
- $54.30, $54.29, $54.29
| Person | Items | Subtotal | Tax | Tip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann | pasta $18.00, wine 1/3 of $40.00, appetizer 1/3 of $14.00, dessert 1/2 of $9.00 | $40.50 | $3.34 | $8.10 | $51.94 |
| Ben | steak $32.00, wine 1/3 of $40.00, appetizer 1/3 of $14.00, dessert 1/2 of $9.00 | $54.50 | $4.50 | $10.90 | $69.90 |
| Cara | salad $14.00, wine 1/3 of $40.00, appetizer 1/3 of $14.00 | $32.00 | $2.64 | $6.40 | $41.04 |
| Everyone | 6 items | $127.00 | $10.48 | $25.40 | $162.88 |
- Cents: the subtotal, the tax and the tip are each shared out separately. Everyone's exact share is rounded down to the cent, then the cents left over go one at a time to the largest fractions, ties to whoever is listed first. Each column then adds up to the receipt exactly, and so do the totals.
- A shared item is split equally among the people it names. Discounts, negative amounts and different tax rates on different items are not handled; enter the tax from the receipt as a dollar amount if it is not one rate on everything.
How the Bill Splitter works
Type the order one person at a time, separated by semicolons: Ann: pasta 18; Ben: steak 32. Commas separate items, and the price goes last. Start a part with shared: for something the whole table had, or join names with a plus sign, Ann+Ben: dessert 9, for something only some of you split. Used as a receipt splitter, it takes the lines off the receipt in order.
Splitting by what each person ordered. When one person has a salad and another has a steak and two cocktails, dividing by the head count has the salad paying for the steak. Each person's own items, plus their part of anything shared, is the starting point that tracks what they ate. In the default bill, $127.00 of food and wine is $40.50 for Ann, $54.50 for Ben and $32.00 for Cara: each pays for their own plate and a third of the $40 wine and the $14 appetizer, and Ann and Ben pay half the $9 dessert each.
Why tax and tip follow each share. Sales tax is a percentage of the food, and a percentage tip is too, so the person who ordered more generated more of both. Ben ordered $54.50 of the $127.00, about 42.9%, so he pays the same share of the $10.48 tax and the $25.40 tip: $4.50 and $10.90, for $69.90. Ann pays $51.94 and Cara $41.04. A split bill calculator that divides only the tax and tip evenly moves part of the big orders' tax onto the small ones.
The cents problem. Shares rarely land on whole cents. $100 three ways is $33.333... each, and rounding everyone to $33.33 leaves the table a cent short. This bill splitter rounds each column down to the cent, then hands the leftover cents out one at a time to the largest fractions, ties to whoever is listed first. $100 becomes $33.34, $33.33 and $33.33, and the shares add up to the bill exactly. The "Shares add up to" line in the result is the check.
A date, or anyone treating. Two people often want something other than a strict itemized split. Say Ann's salmon and wine come to $38.00, Ben's burger to $19.00, and they share $8.00 of fries, at 8.25% tax and a 20% tip: $83.36 in all. By what each ordered, Ann pays $53.86 and Ben $29.50. If Ben covers the tip, Ann pays $45.46 and Ben $37.90. Split 60/40, it is $50.02 and $33.34. If Ben treats, he pays the whole $83.36. Each is the same bill; the people at the table pick the arrangement.
Bill Splitter FAQ
How do you split a bill when people ordered different amounts?
Add up each person's items, divide anything shared among the people who shared it, then give each person tax and tip in proportion to that subtotal. On a $127.00 subtotal with 8.25% tax and a 20% tip, the person with $54.50 of it pays 54.5/127 of the $10.48 tax and the $25.40 tip, for $69.90.
Should tax and tip be split evenly or by what each person ordered?
Arithmetically, by what each person ordered: both are percentages of the order, so each person's tax and tip come out as the same percentage of their own subtotal. Splitting them evenly means the lighter orders pay part of the tax and tip on the heavier ones. An even split is simpler, and the result shows it next to the itemized one so the difference is visible.
How do we split the bill on a date?
Pick the arrangement and enter it. To have one person cover the tip, put their name in the tip field and the rest is split by what each ordered. To split 60/40, choose by percent and enter Ann 60, Ben 40. To treat, choose one person pays it all. On an $83.36 dinner, those give $45.46 and $37.90, $50.02 and $33.34, or $83.36 and nothing.
Why do some shares come out a cent higher?
Because the cents have to go somewhere. $100 split three ways is $33.333... each, and three shares of $33.33 come to $99.99. The leftover cent goes to the share with the largest fraction, or to the first person listed when the fractions tie, so the shares always add up to the bill.
Can I split a bill by income?
Yes, with by percent. If Ann earns $60,000 and Ben $40,000, their incomes are 60% and 40% of the total, so enter Ann 60, Ben 40. For rent and household bills split by income or room size, the rent split calculator does the same arithmetic over a month.