Last updated October 6, 2026
To split a restaurant bill by item, add up what each person ordered, divide any shared dishes between the people who shared them, then add tax and tip in proportion to each person's food. It's fairer than splitting evenly whenever people ordered very different amounts.
Go down the receipt and write each person's name next to what they ordered. Drinks count too. This is the step that usually causes arguments, so do it while everyone is still at the table.
A shared dish is split between only the people who ate it. If you and one friend shared $12 fries, you each add $6. The friend who didn't touch them adds nothing.
Add up each person's food to get their subtotal. Each person then pays the same percentage of tax and tip as their share of the food. If your food is 30% of the bill, you pay 30% of the tax and 30% of the tip. The tax and tip guide has a full worked example.
Whoever paid the restaurant sends everyone their total. If your group uses different payment apps, see splitting a bill across Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App.
If everyone ordered about the same, an even split is faster and nobody loses more than a dollar or two. Split by item when someone skipped drinks, ordered much less, or the table shared a few plates.
The fast way: Tabby, the app ("Split with Tabby" on the App Store), does this for you. Scan the receipt, share one link, and everyone taps what they had. Tabby adds tax and tip in proportion and shows each person a button to pay you back. Join the waitlist to get it at launch.