How to Split a Restaurant Bill Fairly
Three Ways to Split a Restaurant Bill
| Method | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Equal Split | Divide total (including tax and tip) by number of people. | Similar orders, casual dining. |
| Itemized Split | Each person pays for exactly what they ordered, plus proportional tax and tip. | Mixed budgets, fine dining. |
| Host Pays | One person covers the bill, others settle later. | Business meals, celebrations. |
How to Calculate Tip on a Split Bill
Example: $120 bill, 4 people, 20% tip.
Subtotal per person: $30.00
Tip per person (20%): $6.00
Tax per person (~8%): $2.40
Total per person: $38.40
Why Use an App to Split Restaurant Bills?
Manual calculations are error-prone and awkward. A bill splitting app like Loot scans your receipt, handles the math, and lets everyone pay their share in seconds — all inside iMessage. See how Loot works →
The most common problem with splitting restaurant bills manually is forgetting to account for tax and tip in each person's share. If the group agrees on 20% tip but applies it only to the subtotal before tax, the total collected comes up short. Loot applies tax and tip proportionally to each person's itemized subtotal, so the math always works out.
Another common issue is shared items — appetizers, bottles of wine, desserts split by the table. Loot lets you mark an item as shared and automatically divides the cost among everyone who had it. No more mental math at the table or awkward conversations about who owes what for the guacamole.