Tip on $20
A 15% tip on $20 is $3.00, 18% is $3.60 and 20% is $4.00. Use the calculator to change the percentage, or read the full table below.
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How Much Is a Tip On $20?
On a $20 bill, a 15% tip is $3.00, an 18% tip is $3.60 and a 20% tip is $4.00. That makes your total $23.00, $23.60 or $24.00.
Twenty dollars is a typical lunch or a couple of drinks. Both the maths and the tip are tidy: 20% is exactly $4, and 15% is $3. This is one of the few bill sizes where every common percentage lands on a round number.
| Tip percentage | Tip | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $2.00 | $22.00 |
| 12% | $2.40 | $22.40 |
| 15% | $3.00 | $23.00 |
| 18% | $3.60 | $23.60 |
| 20% | $4.00 | $24.00 |
| 22% | $4.40 | $24.40 |
| 25% | $5.00 | $25.00 |
Calculated on $20 before sales tax.
Splitting a $20 Bill
Split two ways with a 20% tip, that is $12 each. It divides cleanly by two and four, which is why $20 tabs get split at the table more often than most.
| Split between | Each pays (18%) | Each pays (20%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $11.80 | $12.00 |
| 3 people | $7.87 | $8.00 |
| 4 people | $5.90 | $6.00 |
| 5 people | $4.72 | $4.80 |
| 6 people | $3.93 | $4.00 |
Always add the tip to the full bill first and divide afterwards. Splitting first and letting everyone round their own share up leaves the server short — the main calculator handles this correctly.
Working Out $20 in Your Head
Move the decimal point one place left to get 10% of $20, which is $2.00. Everything else builds from that number: double it for 20% ($4.00), add half of it for 15% ($3.00), or take 20% and subtract a tenth for 18% ($3.60).
Ten percent of $20 is $2, so every percentage is a simple multiple of it — $3 for 15%, $4 for 20%, $5 for 25%.
The same shortcut works on any bill — the full method is explained here, and the tip chart covers the amounts either side of $20.
What to Leave on $20 by Service
The gap between a 15% and a 25% tip here is two dollars. Nobody is reading a message into that, so pick whichever leaves you a round total.
| Service | Percentage | Tip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional service | 25% | $5.00 | $25.00 |
| Good service | 20% | $4.00 | $24.00 |
| Standard service | 18% | $3.60 | $23.60 |
| The acceptable floor | 15% | $3.00 | $23.00 |
| Poor service | 10% | $2.00 | $22.00 |
Below 15% reads as a deliberate comment rather than a small tip, so it is worth speaking to the manager as well. The average tip percentage guide covers where these ranges came from.
Rounding the Total Up Instead
Every round total between $22 and $26 lands inside the normal range, which makes a $20 bill unusually forgiving.
| Rounding up to | That tip is | Which is |
|---|---|---|
| Round the total to $22 | $2.00 | 10.0% |
| Round the total to $23 | $3.00 | 15.0% |
| Round the total to $24 | $4.00 | 20.0% |
| Round the total to $25 | $5.00 | 25.0% |
| Round the total to $26 | $6.00 | 30.0% |
Rounding is the whole convention outside the United States — see tipping around the world.
$20 Plus Sales Tax
Every figure above is calculated on $20 before sales tax, which is the US convention. What the bill actually comes to depends on where you are — these are the totals at the rates you are most likely to meet.
| Sales tax rate | Tax | Bill with tax | 20% tip (pre-tax) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No sales tax (OR, MT, NH, DE) | $0.00 | $20.00 | $4.00 | $24.00 |
| 6% | $1.20 | $21.20 | $4.00 | $25.20 |
| 7% | $1.40 | $21.40 | $4.00 | $25.40 |
| 8% | $1.60 | $21.60 | $4.00 | $25.60 |
| 8.875% (New York City) | $1.78 | $21.78 | $4.00 | $25.78 |
| 10.25% (Chicago area) | $2.05 | $22.05 | $4.00 | $26.05 |
Tipping post-tax instead costs $0.32 more here, and is perfectly acceptable — tax and tip explains why card terminals do it that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you tip on $20?
The standard US tip on $20 is 18 to 20 percent, which is $3.60 to $4.00. That brings your total to between $23.60 and $24.00.
What is a 20 percent tip on $20?
A 20 percent tip on $20 is $4.00, making the total $24.00. To get it quickly, find 10 percent ($2.00) and double it.
What is a 15 percent tip on $20?
A 15 percent tip on $20 is $3.00, for a total of $23.00. Fifteen percent is the low end of normal for US table service.
How much is $20 split between four people with tip?
With a 20 percent tip the total is $24.00, so four people pay $6.00 each. At 18 percent it is $5.90 each.
Other Bill Amounts
The same breakdown for the amounts people look up most often.