Sharing, with an awkward remainder
How Do You Split a Bill Fairly?
Dividing a bill is easy until it does not divide, and then it becomes a question about people.
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Step 1 of 5
An even split is just division.
The total divided by the number of people. Sixty between four is fifteen each, and nobody argues.
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Step 2 of 5
Most bills do not divide neatly.
£61 between four is £15.25. Real bills leave pennies, and pennies cannot be cut, so somebody has to absorb them.
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Step 3 of 5
Rounding up is the usual answer.
Everyone pays the next round amount and the extra covers the remainder, and usually part of the tip too.
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Step 4 of 5
Itemising is fairer and much slower.
Paying for what you ordered is exactly right and takes ten minutes. Splitting evenly is roughly right and takes ten seconds.
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Step 5 of 5
The maths is easy; the choosing is not.
Arithmetic tells you every possible answer. Which one a table picks is about who ordered the wine, and no sum settles that.
Splitting by rounding everyone up is also the only method where the total collected is never short.
The short version
Splitting a bill is division until the remainder appears, and then it stops being arithmetic and becomes a decision.
Try it yourself
Split a £47 bill three ways. Notice how quickly you reach for £16 each rather than £15.67.
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