The short answer
If everyone had about the same, split the total evenly. If not, add up what each person ordered, split shared dishes between the people who had them, then share tax and tip in proportion to each person's food. A discount only comes off the items it covers.
Pick the simplest split that feels fair
| Method | How it works | Works best when |
|---|---|---|
| Evenly | Total divided by the number of people | Everyone ordered about the same |
| By shares | A couple counts as 2 shares, a single person as 1 | The only difference is who's paying for whom |
| Item by item | Each person pays for what they had, plus their part of tax and tip | Orders were very different, or someone skipped the drinks |
Example: three friends, one shared appetizer
Maya had a burger ($18) and a beer ($7). Theo had pasta ($22). Ana had a salad ($14) and a glass of wine ($9). They shared nachos ($12), which comes to $4 each. Tax is 8%, and they tip 18% of the bill before tax.
- Maya's food
- $18 + $7 + $4 = $29.00
- Theo's food
- $22 + $4 = $26.00
- Ana's food
- $14 + $9 + $4 = $27.00
- Maya's tax and tip
- $2.32 + $5.22 = $7.54
- Theo's tax and tip
- $2.08 + $4.68 = $6.76
- Ana's tax and tip
- $2.16 + $4.86 = $7.02
- Maya pays
- $36.54
- Theo pays
- $32.76
- Ana pays
- $34.02
That adds up to the full $103.32. An even split would be $34.44 each, so Theo saves $1.68 by splitting item by item, and Maya pays $2.10 more. On a bill like this, you might decide an even split is close enough.
How to handle discounts
- A discount on one item: it comes off that item only, so whoever ordered it gets the benefit.
- “50% off food”: it comes off the food only. Drinks stay at full price, so someone who only had drinks gets no discount.
- A discount on the whole bill: share it in proportion to what each person ordered. With $10 off an $80 bill, someone who ordered $40 of food saves $5.
- Gift cards and deposits: these aren't discounts. They're a payment, so whoever paid them is owed that amount back by the group.
Many people tip on the price before the discount, since the server did the same work either way. That's up to your table.
Tips and service charges
- Check for a service charge first. Many restaurants add one to the bill, and in some countries a tip isn't expected on top of it.
- Keep a printed service charge separate from discounts. It's its own line on the bill, so share it between the people it applies to.
- Tip before or after tax? Most people tip on the amount before tax. Either is fine if your table agrees.
- Check whether tax is already included. In many countries prices include tax, so there's nothing to add.
Split your own bill
Add the bill, tax and tip, pick how many people, and split evenly or by shares, right to the cent.
Open the Split Bill CalculatorKeep track in BuddyPay
In BuddyPay you can split item by item for free: add each dish and tap who had it. With BuddyPay Plus, AI reads the receipt for you, including tips, service charges and discounts, and you just pick who had what. AI can make mistakes, so give the items a quick look before saving.
See how receipt scanning works