How to Split a Restaurant Bill Fairly
The check arrives. Six people at the table. Someone ordered a steak, someone had a side salad, and two people split a bottle of wine. The server is waiting. Somebody says "let's just split it evenly."
Now the person who had a $14 salad is paying $47.
There are three ways to handle this, and only one of them is actually fair.
Option 1: Split evenly
Divide the total by the number of people. Fast, simple, and unfair to anyone who ordered less. This works when everyone ordered roughly the same thing. It falls apart when the bill has a $60 entree and a $12 appetizer on the same tab.
The math is easy. The resentment is harder to calculate.
Option 2: Everyone does their own math
Each person scrolls through the receipt photo in the group chat, adds up their items, and then tries to figure out their share of tax and tip. Someone forgets the extra drink. Someone rounds down. The numbers don't add up. Thirty minutes later, one person gives up and Venmos $50 "to cover whatever."
Accurate in theory. A mess in practice.
Option 3: Split by item with proportional tax and tip
This is the fair way. Each person pays for exactly what they ordered, plus their proportional share of tax, tip, and any fees. If your food was 20% of the subtotal, you pay 20% of the tax and 20% of the tip. No subsidizing someone else's lobster. No underpaying because you forgot the appetizer you split with the table.
The problem is that doing this by hand takes forever, especially with a group of six or more.
How proportional tax and tip actually works
Say the subtotal is $200. Tax is $18. Tip is $40. Your items total $30, which is 15% of the subtotal.
Your share: $30 (food) + $2.70 (15% of tax) + $6.00 (15% of tip) = $38.70.
Compare that to an even split among six people: $43.00. You'd be overpaying by $4.30 for the privilege of ordering less food.
Multiply that across every dinner, every delivery order, every bar tab, and it adds up.
The faster way
Divvi does this automatically. One person scans the receipt, shares a link, and everyone claims their items from their phone. Tax, tip, and fees are calculated proportionally. No app to download, no account to create. Takes about 30 seconds.