Share a tip pool fairly among your team. List each person with their hours and role points, choose how to split (by hours, points, hours × points or fixed percentages), and get every share to the cent with a printable, downloadable tip-out sheet.
Last updated:
$
Split by
Hours-only: Name, hours. Points-only: Name, points. Fixed %: Name, percent. Tabs work too (paste from a spreadsheet).
%
e.g. a fixed share for the kitchen before the pool is split.
Enter your values to see the result.
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Tip Pooling Calculator
Enter the total tips collected for the shift or week.
Choose the split method: hours, role points, hours × points or fixed percentages.
List your staff, one per line: name, hours and points (or a percentage).
Optionally take a share off the top and choose cent or dollar rounding.
Print or download the tip-out sheet.
Tip pooling formulas
By hours: share = pool × person's hours ÷ total hours.
By role points: share = pool × person's points ÷ total points.
By hours × points: share = pool × (hours × points) ÷ Σ(hours × points).
Fixed %: share = pool × person's percentage ÷ 100.
Example (hours × points): a $1,240 pool with Maria 32 h × 10, James 28 × 10, Aisha 30 × 8, Leo 25 × 5, Sam 20 × 3 and Kim 18 × 5 gives 320 + 280 + 240 + 125 + 60 + 90 = 1,115 point-hours, so one point-hour is worth $1.1121 and Maria receives 320 × 1.1121 = $355.87.
Example role points
There is no standard table; these are typical starting points that teams adjust to their own setup.
Role
Points
Share of one hour vs a server
Server
10
100%
Bartender
8
80%
Food runner
5
50%
Busser
5
50%
Barback
4
40%
Host
3
30%
Write your pool rules down and share them with the team before the shift. Clear, consistent rules matter more for fairness than the exact numbers.
Frequently asked questions
How do you split tips by hours worked?
Divide the total tips by the total hours worked by everyone in the pool to get a tip rate per hour, then multiply by each person's hours. $1,000 shared over 125 hours is $8 an hour, so someone who worked 30 hours gets $240.
What is a tip pool points system?
Each role gets points, for example servers 10, bartenders 8, bussers 5 and hosts 3. Multiply each person's hours by their points, add these up, and each person's share is their hours × points divided by the total. It rewards both time worked and role.
Is tip pooling legal?
In the US, tip pools are allowed under the Fair Labor Standards Act, but managers and supervisors may not keep any part of employees' tips. Whether back-of-house staff can be included depends on whether the employer takes a tip credit. State laws vary, so check local rules.
Why don't the shares add up to the total after rounding?
Rounding each share separately can leave or overshoot a few cents. This calculator gives leftover cents to the people with the largest remainders so the shares add up exactly. With whole-dollar rounding, the leftover amount is shown so you can decide what to do with it.
What does take off the top mean?
Some pools set aside a fixed percentage for a group first, such as 5% for the kitchen, and split the rest among the remaining staff. Enter that percentage and it is removed before the split.
How do I tip out with fixed percentages?
Choose Fixed %, then give each person or group a percentage of the pool, for example servers 70%, bartender 15%, bussers 10% and host 5%. If the percentages add up to less than 100%, the rest is shown as not distributed.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.