Tip and split calculator

How much to tip in India

There is no fixed rule. At sit-down restaurants 5–10% of the food is common when there is no service charge on the bill; round-ups and small cash tips are common at cafés, for delivery and for drivers. Tip what the service was worth to you.

Two things on an Indian bill change the maths:

• GST. Most restaurants charge 5% GST; restaurants in hotels with rooms above ₹7,500 a night charge 18%. Many people tip on the food only, not on the tax.
• Service charge. Some restaurants print a “service charge” of 5–10%. It is voluntary: the Central Consumer Protection Authority’s guidelines of July 2022 say it can’t be added by default or made compulsory, and the Delhi High Court upheld them on 28 March 2025. If you’re happy to pay it, it already is your tip; if not, you can ask for it to be removed.

Splitting a bill fairly

An equal split is quick, but it isn’t fair when one person ate a starter and another had three courses. Turn on Split unevenly and type each person’s order from the menu. The tool shares the GST, any service charge and the tip in proportion, so everyone pays for what they had.

The Kallakurichi family dinner

Saravanan takes his family out after a temple festival in Kallakurichi. The bill is ₹2,300 with 5% GST. He wants to leave 10%.

1. On the whole bill, 10% is ₹230.
2. On the food before GST (₹2,190.48), 10% is ₹219: about ₹11 less.
3. Split among 4, that’s ₹632.50 each on the whole bill. Rounding each share up to the next ₹10 makes it ₹640, and the extra ₹30 goes to the waiter.
4. If his brother-in-law ordered the biryani for two, Split unevenly with each person’s order shares the bill fairly.

Tip amounts at a glance

Check the bill before you split it

A minute with the bill saves an argument later:

• The GST rate. A standalone restaurant should show 5% (often as 2.5% CGST and 2.5% SGST). 18% is for restaurants in hotels with expensive rooms.
• GST on the service charge. A service charge is optional; if you agree to pay it, check that the bill doesn’t add more tax on top of it.
• Items you didn’t order. Ask for an itemised bill if the total looks high, and check bottled water and add-ons.
• Packing charges on takeaway are usually printed separately; include them in the bill total you type here.

Paying it back with UPI

When one person pays the whole bill, the others usually send their share by UPI. Round shares make that quicker: turn on Round shares up so everyone sends ₹640 instead of ₹632.50, and the few extra rupees go to the waiter as part of the tip. For an uneven split, send each person their line from the Who pays what table. When the group meets often, keep a running note of who paid each time, so it evens out over the month.

How to use this tool

1. Type the bill total, the tip and how many people are sharing.
2. Read each person’s share and the tip.
3. Turn on Tip on food only to leave the GST out, Service charge on bill if one is printed, Round shares up for easy cash or UPI, or Split unevenly to pay by order.

Common mistakes

• Tipping on top of a service charge without noticing it: you pay twice.
• Tipping on the GST as well as the food.
• Splitting equally when the orders were very different.