How to · Restaurants
How to split a brunch bill
Brunch is the worst meal to split evenly. Half the table is on bottomless mimosas, two people skipped the drinks, somebody ordered the prix-fixe, and there's usually an automatic gratuity on top. Itemize from the printed check and split the gratuity proportionally.
Short answer
Assign each food item and each drink package to the person who had it. Then split tax and the auto-gratuity in proportion to each person's subtotal.
Step-by-step
- 1
Pull the printed check
Brunch tabs usually have a separate line for the bottomless package per person. You need to see those lines clearly to split correctly.
- 2
Match each line to a person
Food items to whoever ordered them. Bottomless mimosa lines go to whoever opted in — these are not shared, even if the table shared the pitcher.
- 3
Split auto-gratuity proportionally
Most brunch spots auto-charge 18-20% for groups. Each person's share equals their share of the subtotal — the bottomless mimosa orderer covers more of it, because their subtotal is higher.
- 4
Settle before leaving the table
Brunch groups scatter fast. Run the math while everyone's still seated and send the payment links before people pay the check.
A worked example
Four people. Two on $25 bottomless mimosas, two who ordered no drinks. Food: $20 each ($80 total). Subtotal: $130. 20% auto-gratuity: $26. Tax: $11. Total: $167. Bottomless people each owe $45 + 35% × ($26 + $11) = $45 + $12.95 = $57.95. Non-drinkers each owe $20 + 15% × $37 = $25.55.
Common pitfalls
- Splitting bottomless drinks evenly across the table. The point of bottomless is that it varies — only the people who opted in pay for it.
- Forgetting the auto-gratuity is on the check. Adding another 20% tip on top doubles the gratuity by accident.
- Treating the prix-fixe as a standard entrée when it actually includes a drink. Read the menu carefully when assigning.
- Splitting evenly because brunch is supposed to be fun. The fun ends when the non-drinker realizes they paid for someone's eighth mimosa.
Let SplitterBot® handle the math
SplitterBot handles brunch math without making anyone feel awkward. Scan the receipt, assign drink packages to the right people, and tax and gratuity split themselves.
FAQ
Should I split a bottomless mimosa package among the table?
No — the package is sold per person and only the people who opted in get the drinks. Each opt-in person pays the full package price.
What if one person on bottomless only had one mimosa?
They still pay the full package price unless the restaurant adjusts it. Bottomless packages are non-refundable by usage; that's why they're a flat rate.
How do I split a shared brunch board?
Divide it evenly among the people who ate from it. Treat it like any shared appetizer and add each person's cut to their subtotal before tax and tip.
More how-to guides
Split your next bill in seconds.
Snap a photo of the receipt. Tap who had what. SplitterBot sends each person their share with a one-tap payment link.