How to · Takeout
How to split a takeout or delivery order
Takeout has extra fees that don't show up at a restaurant: delivery fee, service fee, sometimes a small-cart surcharge. All of those should split proportionally to what each person ordered, the same way tax and tip do at a restaurant.
Short answer
Total each person's items, then give each person a share of the delivery fee, service fee, tax, and tip equal to their share of the subtotal.
Step-by-step
- 1
Use the order summary, not the menu
Open the app's confirmation email or order summary — it shows exactly what each item cost, including upcharges for extras and substitutions.
- 2
Assign every item
Each item goes to whoever ordered it. For a shared side (extra fries, a sauce), split between the people who shared.
- 3
Split fees proportionally
Delivery fee, service fee, tax, and tip all behave the same way. Each person's share equals their share of the subtotal — 30% of the food means 30% of every fee.
- 4
Send out the amounts
Tell each person what they owe. A payment link with the amount pre-filled is faster than texting numbers around.
A worked example
Three friends order $60 of food. Delivery: $4. Service fee: $3. Tax: $5. Tip: $12. Total: $84. Order breakdown: $30, $20, $10. The $30 orderer pays 50% of fees ($12), so $42. The $20 orderer pays 33%, so $28. The $10 orderer pays 17%, so $14. Adds to $84.
Common pitfalls
- Splitting the delivery fee evenly because it's a "flat" fee. The person who ordered a $4 side shouldn't pay the same delivery share as the person who ordered $40 of food.
- Forgetting the service fee entirely. Apps charge 10-15% on top of the menu prices, and that has to go somewhere.
- Tipping a flat amount across the order. Tip proportionally so the math matches the rest of the bill.
- Doing the math from the menu prices instead of the order confirmation — the app marks items up.
Let SplitterBot® handle the math
SplitterBot can split a takeout order the same way it splits a restaurant bill — assign items, and tax, delivery, service fee, and tip all split proportionally.
FAQ
Why is the app price different from the menu price?
Most delivery apps mark prices up 15-25% over what the restaurant charges in-store. Use the order confirmation for the actual numbers when you split.
How should we tip the delivery driver?
15-20% of the subtotal is the standard. Whether the household splits that proportionally or one person covers it is up to the household — proportional is fairer when one person ordered most of the food.
What about the small-cart fee on small orders?
Same as any other fee — split proportionally. If only one person ordered enough to trigger it, you could charge them, but proportional splitting matches how the rest of the bill works.