Free tip pooling calculator, split to the cent

Split a shift's tips fairly and show your working. This free tip pooling calculator takes the total in the pool and the people sharing it, then splits it by hours worked, by points, by hours × points or equally. Every share is in whole cents, and a rounding check shows how the last few cents were handed out, so the shares add up to the pool exactly. The editable sample splits a fictional Saturday pool between five people at a small coffee shop.

The calculator does the arithmetic only. It does not count tips, pay anyone or decide who may join the pool.

Split a tip pool

1. Name the pool, add the business and date if you want them printed, choose the currency and enter the pool total, such as 642.75.
2. Choose how to split the pool: by hours worked, by points, by hours × points, or an equal split. Each method's rule is shown beside it.
3. Add each person with an optional role. Enter hours worked as decimal hours, so 7 hours 15 minutes is 7.25, and points when the method uses them. Fields a method does not use are hidden.
4. Check each person's share, their percentage of the pool and the rounding check in the preview, then print or download the split.

You can split a pool among up to 40 people and move rows up or down to match your staff list. Removing a person asks first. Start blank gives an empty pool split by hours; Reset sample brings back the example.

How the split is worked out

Each method gives every person a weight:

• By hours worked: the weight is the person's hours. This is how to split tips by hours: each share is their hours ÷ everyone's hours.
• By points: the weight is a number you choose for each person, such as 1 for most roles and 0.5 for a role that shares less.
• By hours × points: the weight is hours multiplied by points, so points change what an hour is worth in the split.
• Equal split: everyone gets the same share, whatever their hours.

A person's exact share is the pool × their weight ÷ the total weight. Exact shares rarely land on whole cents, so the calculator rounds each one down to the cent, works out how many cents are left, and gives one leftover cent each to the people whose shares lost the most in rounding. This is the largest remainder method. When two people lost the same amount, the person listed first gets the cent. No one gets more than one extra cent, and nothing is left unpaid.

In the fictional sample, $642.75 is split by hours between five people who worked 30.25 hours in total, which is $21.2479 per hour. Alex worked 8 hours, so their exact share is 642.75 × 8 ÷ 30.25 = $169.9834, rounded down to $169.98. Rounded down, the five shares add up to $642.72, leaving 3 cents. Riley lost 0.97 of a cent in rounding, Casey 0.78 and Jordan 0.75, so they get one cent each, and the shares add up to $642.75.

Who may share in a tip pool

Tip pooling is regulated in many places, and the rules decide who can join a pool and how quickly tips must be paid out. They vary by country and state, and this page is not legal advice.

• United States. The federal rule on tip pooling in 29 CFR 531.54 says an employer may not keep tips from a pool and may not allow managers and supervisors to receive tips from it. Whether staff such as cooks and dishwashers can be included depends on whether the employer takes a tip credit. Many states add their own rules.
• United Kingdom. GOV.UK on tips at work says tips must be given to workers without deductions, and points to a statutory code of practice on sharing tips fairly, with a written tipping policy and records.

If a person's role names an owner, manager or supervisor, the calculator shows a reminder to check whether they may share. It is a hint, not a rule check, and it never stops the split.

Keep tip splits clear and consistent

• Write the rule down first. Agree the method and any points before the shift, and use the same rule every time.
• Use recorded hours. Take hours from the timesheet, not memory. The timesheet calculator totals a week, and the hours to decimal converter turns hours and minutes into decimal hours.
• Show people the split. Share the printout, with the pool total and the rounding check, so anyone can follow how their share was reached.
• Keep a copy. Download the CSV for each pool and keep it with your pay records.

Print or download the split

Print / PDF prints the summary, the table of shares with each person's weight, percentage and amount before rounding, the rounding check and any notes. Download CSV gives one row per person with the rounded-down amount, any leftover cent and the final share, then a total row, as plain numbers a spreadsheet can add up. Download text gives the same split to paste into a message or document.

The draft stays in this browser tab if you refresh. Download or print the split before you start the next pool.

Frequently asked questions

Can I split tips without an account?

Yes. The calculator opens with an editable sample and works without a login or email address. Nothing you type is uploaded.

Why do the shares not match my own division?

Exact shares are usually fractions of a cent. The calculator rounds each share down and hands out the leftover cents one at a time, so the total paid matches the pool. A share can differ from simple rounding by one cent.

What is a fair way to split a tip pool?

Splitting by hours is a simple starting point, because it follows the time each person worked. Points suit a team that agrees some roles share more, and an equal split suits a shift where everyone worked about the same hours.

Can I use this tip pool calculator for a whole pay period?

Yes. Enter the pool total for the period and each person's total hours. For pay that changes with the shift, the shift differential calculator works out the premium.