How to split the bill in a restaurant: by item, in equal parts or by amount
“Can we pay separately?” It is one of the most common requests at the end of a meal, and one of the most time-consuming if the POS does not help. There are three ways to split a bill and each fits a different situation. Here we go through them with examples (figures are illustrative) and look at how to do it from the table itself with the QR code.
01By item: everyone pays for what they had
This is the fairest option when each guest ordered different things. Each line of the bill is assigned to a person and charged separately. Example: a table of three with €58.00 in total; Ana had €19.50, Luis €22.00 and Marta €16.50. Shared items (the water, starters for the table) are split or assigned to someone: agree it with the table before charging, not after.
02Equal parts: the fastest
You divide the total by the number of people. It is the fastest option and the usual one for groups who shared. The detail is in the cents: €44.50 split 6 ways is €7.4166…, so four people pay €7.42 and two pay €7.41. Spreading that remainder one cent at a time makes the shares add up exactly to the total and nobody carries all the rounding.
03By amount: each person puts in a sum
Sometimes someone wants to pay a specific amount (“I’ll put in €30 and we split the rest”) or treat part of the table. You charge that amount first and split what is left as agreed. What matters is that all the shares add up exactly to the total, so the table closes with no discrepancies in the till.
04Good practice on the floor
Ask when you bring the bill whether they will pay together or separately, instead of finding out with the card terminal in your hand. Be clear about what happens with the tip on each share. Collect every share before closing the table and check nothing is left pending. And if a large group asks to split by item, take a few minutes: getting it wrong costs more than waiting.
05Splitting the bill from the table with QR
The alternative is for the guests themselves to split the bill on their phones: they scan the table’s QR code, see the bill, choose how many parts to split it into and each pays their own from their phone. The server does not have to go back and forth with the card terminal, and the table can see at all times which shares are paid. For the restaurant, what matters is that each payment is linked to the right order, that two people cannot pay the same share and that the table closes once everything is paid.
06How it works in Tablezio
In Tablezio’s POS you can split an order in equal parts or by item and mark each share as paid with its payment method. From the table’s QR code, guests can split the bill in equal parts, up to 20 ways: each one reserves their share so nobody pays the same one twice, can add a tip and pays from their phone by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Leftover cents are spread across the first shares and, when every share is paid, the order closes on its own. Paying from the phone runs on Stripe, by connecting your payments account, and you can turn it off if you prefer to charge at the table. Splitting by free amounts is not available for now. All of this is included in the Pro plan.
Splitting the bill should not cost five minutes or a till discrepancy. Ask early, use the method that fits the table (by item, equal parts or by amount) and, if you want to free up your team, let each guest pay their share from their phone.