How to split the tip fairly when everyone ordered differently

The meal ended well, but the tip can ruin the moment. Do we split it evenly? And what if someone ordered twice as much as the rest? Splitting the tip seems like a minor detail, but when consumption varies a lot, getting it wrong leaves that "I overpaid" feeling.

Why splitting the tip evenly isn't always fair

Picture a table of three. Ana had $100, Beto $100 and Carla $400. The bill is $600 and they want to leave a 15% tip, i.e. $90.

If they split the tip evenly, each pays $30. But that means Ana paid $30 of tip on a $100 bill (30%!), while Carla paid $30 on $400 (barely 7.5%). Ana is subsidizing Carla's tip.

The fair way: a tip proportional to consumption

The right approach is for each person to contribute tip in proportion to what they consumed. Same example, 15%:

Person	Consumption	Tip (15%)	Total to pay
Ana	$100	$15	$115
Beto	$100	$15	$115
Carla	$400	$60	$460

Now everyone pays the same tip percentage on their own bill. Nobody subsidizes anyone. That's the definition of fair.

Golden rule: the tip is calculated on each person's consumption — it isn't split per head.

How much should you tip?

• 10% — the usual minimum for standard service.
• 15% — the standard for good service (the most common).
• 20% or more — when the service was excellent.

In some places the tip is already included in the bill ("service included"); check the receipt before adding another on top.

The trick to skip the math

Working out the proportional tip by hand —taking the percentage of each person's consumption and adding it to their share— is exactly what nobody feels like doing at the end of a meal. The fast way:

You pick the percentage once and the app splits the tip proportionally across everyone, with each person's consumption already assigned. Zero calculator, zero arguments.

If you also want to review the different ways to split the total, our guide on how to split a restaurant bill with friends can help.