Split bill calculator
no signupSplit a bill two ways. Evenly: a total, the number of people, an optional tip, and each person's share to the cent. By who paid: type what each person actually paid and get the fewest transfers that square everyone up. The result lives in the link, so copy it and send it to the group.
How the maths works
Splitting evenly
Add the tip to the total, divide by the number of people, and round to the cent. When the cents do not divide evenly, the calculator gives the leftover cents to the first people in the list, one cent each, so the shares add back to the exact total. A $247.50 bill between four people is $61.88, $61.88, $61.87 and $61.87, not four lots of $61.875.
Splitting by who paid
Each person's share is the total divided by the number of people. Their net position is what they paid minus that share. Positive means they are owed; negative means they owe. The calculator sorts the people who owe from largest to smallest, does the same for the people who are owed, and matches them: the largest debtor pays the largest creditor the smaller of their two balances, and whoever hits zero drops out. This always finishes in at most one fewer transfer than there are people.
Rounding up
Rounding each share up to the dollar or to $5 makes cash easier and leaves a small surplus, shown under the result. Decide who keeps it; usually whoever paid the bill.
Questions
How do you split a bill evenly between people?
Divide the total, including any tip, by the number of people and round to the cent. If the cents do not divide evenly, one or two people pay one cent more so the total is exact.
How do you split a bill when people paid different amounts?
Work out each person's share, then what they paid minus their share. People with a negative position pay people with a positive one, largest to largest first.
What if the group has more than one bill?
Then you want a ledger, not a calculator: one link for the whole trip, every line in one place, settle once at the end.