Split expenses

Split a bill with Buddies & split contacts using equal, exact, percent, share, or line-item methods.

Split bill lets you record when you pay for a group and track how much each person owes you. It uses Buddies & split contacts under Settings → Family → Buddies & splits — separate from household sharing.

How it works

You pay the full amount (one expense entry)
You select contacts to split with — or pick a saved split group
You choose a split method (equal, exact amounts, percent, shares, or line items)
Each contact’s share is tracked as “they owe you” (or vice versa)
When someone pays you back, use Settle up to clear the balance

On your device: IOU balances, line-item labels, and split UI preferences are stored locally. If you use cloud sync, the server only receives who owes how much (wallet + amount per contact) — not item names or receipt-style breakdowns. That keeps shared sync useful without uploading full receipt detail.

Cloud sync is not required for split tracking.

Set up Buddies & split contacts first

Before splitting, add the people you split with:

Settings → Family tab
Expand Buddies & splits
Tap Add split contact (local name) or Add buddy (cloud TRAIL- code)
Enter a name — “Alex”, “Roommate Sam”
Save — the app creates a contact wallet for tracking

See Buddies & split contacts for balance views and cloud buddies.

Split when adding an expense

Tap + to add an expense
Enter amount, category, and wallet when you use wallets (the account you paid from)
Turn on Split bill
Tap contacts to include, or Select a group for a saved split group
Pick a split method and review totals
Save

The full amount leaves your wallet. Each contact’s share adds to what they owe you.

Split methods

Method	Use when
Equal	Everyone pays the same share (optional: Include me, I paid extra for tips)
Exact	You enter each person’s amount
Percent	Custom percentages (can include yourself in the math)
Shares	Weights such as 2 shares for a couple, 1 for a single
Split by items	Add line items (e.g. Pizza, Taxi) and assign each to contacts

Line items and editing

Line items (names, assignees, amounts) are saved on this device with the expense so you can edit later.
After cloud sync, partners still see correct IOU amounts; item labels stay on devices that entered them unless you edit on the same phone.
Save as default for this group remembers method and item templates (labels + who shares each item, not dollar amounts) for the same contact set next time.

Group defaults vs split groups

Feature	Split groups	Group defaults
What it saves	Named list of people (split groups)	Last split method or item template for a contact set
Best for	Same people every time	Same split style every time

When you select the same Buddies & split contacts again, the app can also restore your last saved default for that group once — until you change the split yourself. Turning split off or clearing contacts resets that.

View balances

Settings → Family → Buddies & splits

You will see lines like:

“Alex owes you $25.00”
“You owe Sam $10.00”

The app may simplify debts — if Alex owes you and you owe Sam, it might suggest Alex pays Sam directly.

Settle up

When someone repays you (or you repay them):

Settings → Family → Buddies & splits
Tap Settle up on the contact
Confirm the amount and direction
The app records a transfer between wallets to zero out the IOU

This keeps group fairness without duplicate expense entries.

Split vs household

	Split bill (IOU)	Household shared expense
Where	Add expense → Split bill	Add expense → Visibility Shared
Cloud needed	No (local splits); buddies need sync	Yes
Tracks debt	Yes — who owes whom	No — shared visibility only
Best for	Dinners, trips with friends	Partner/family joint spending

Tips

Situation	Suggestion
Dinner for four	Add expense → split among 3 contacts (your share stays implicit)
Same roommates every month	Create a split group — “Roommates”
Someone paid you back in cash	Settle up → record transfer from their split contact wallet
Unequal split	Use Exact, Percent, Shares, or line items
Same friends every time	Save as default for this group after setting method or item templates
E2EE / encrypted cloud	Server-side splits are not available — use local split tracking only

On this page