20% Tip on $20 | Tip & Total
A 20% tip on $20 is $4.00, for a total of $24.00.
For a $20 dinner check, servers typically expect $4.00 at 20% — the table-standard choice. 20% is the modern default — the percentage most guides, apps, and receipt prompts anchor on.
You can compare this 20% rate against 15%, 18%, 20%, and 25% in the table and calculator below.
Tip amounts on $20
| Tip % | Tip amount | Total with tip |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $2.00 | $22.00 |
| 15% | $3.00 | $23.00 |
| 18% | $3.60 | $23.60 |
| 20% — your selection | $4.00 | $24.00 |
| 25% | $5.00 | $25.00 |
Watch out: tips calculated after tax
Many receipts print their suggested tip on the after-tax total. With a 9% sales tax, a 20% tip on $20 comes to $4.36 instead of the correct $4.00 — about $0.36 more, which is really 21.8% of your pre-tax bill.
On other percentages: 15% → $3.27, 18% → $3.92, 25% → $5.45.
Tip Calculator
Tip percent
Tip
$4.00
Total with tip
$24.00
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Reviewed by TipTruth TeamUpdated 2026-08-21