Budget tool · Free to use
Plus-plus (++) pricing calculator: the real per-guest cost
Enter the ++ price per guest, your guest count and the two rates from your proposal, and see the total and what each guest really costs once the service charge and tax are added.
How do you calculate ++ pricing for a wedding?
Multiply the ++ price per guest by your guest count. Add the service charge, the first plus, as a percentage of that subtotal. Then add sales tax, the second plus, on the subtotal and, if your venue taxes it, on the service charge too. Divide the total by your guests for the real cost per person.
Your entries are kept in this browser so they are here when you come back. Clear entries removes them from this browser. They are not uploaded unless you add them to your planner. This calculator uses USD and does not read your proposal.
The calculation, in plain sight
- Subtotal = price per guest × guests + any other ++ lines you enter.
- Service charge = service rate × subtotal, rounded once to the nearest cent, with half a cent rounding up.
- Sales tax = tax rate × the subtotal, plus the service charge when you say it is taxed, rounded once to the nearest cent.
- Total = subtotal + service charge + sales tax.
- All-in cost per guest = total ÷ guests, to the nearest cent. What the ++ adds = service charge + sales tax, also shown as a share of the subtotal.
How this is calculated, beside the other free tools
Illustrative example — not a customer result
For the labeled example, take a menu at $100 ++ per guest for 100 guests: a $10,000 subtotal. A 20% service charge is $2,000. Sales tax of 8% on the subtotal plus the service charge, $12,000, is $960. The total is $12,960, or $129.60 per guest, so the ++ adds $2,960, 29.6% of the subtotal. If the service charge is not taxed, the tax is $800 and the total $12,800, or $128.00 per guest.
Where this model stops
What the service charge and the tax are worked out on is set by your proposal and, for tax, by the rules of the state where the wedding takes place. The calculator does not decide either one. Ask the venue or caterer in writing how it calculates both.
It applies one service charge rate and one tax rate to every line you enter. It does not model a food and beverage minimum, an administrative fee, a separate gratuity, discounts or per-item rounding. For a minimum, use the food and beverage minimum calculator; to try different bases for the service charge, use the service charge calculator. The result is arithmetic on your inputs, not a quote.
Common questions
What does ++ mean on a wedding menu?
A price shown with ++ does not include the service charge or the sales tax. Both are added on top: the first plus is the service charge and the second is the tax. The proposal or the venue should state each rate; enter them here to see the total.
How do you calculate the real price of a ++ menu?
Multiply the ++ price by your guests, add the service charge as a percentage of that subtotal, then add the sales tax on the subtotal, and on the service charge as well if the venue taxes it. Divide the total by your guests for the all-in price per person.
Is the service charge in ++ pricing a tip?
Not necessarily. A service charge is a fee set by the contract, and its name alone does not tell you whether any of it is paid to staff. Ask the venue or caterer in writing what it covers before deciding on any separate tip.
Is sales tax charged on the service charge?
Rules vary by state and can depend on how the charge is described. Ask the venue in writing whether it taxes the service charge, and choose that answer in the calculator. For the rule itself, ask a qualified tax professional licensed in the state where the wedding takes place.
Why is my invoice a few cents different from this calculator?
This calculator rounds each percentage charge once, to the nearest cent. A venue may round per line, per item or at a different step. Ask how it rounds if the difference matters to you.
Do the example figures reflect real prices or tax rates?
No. The example figures are invented illustrations, not research about prices and not the tax rate for any place. Replace them with the figures on your own proposal.