How the calculator works
- Total: it adds up what everyone paid.
- Fair share: it splits the total by the method you choose. Equally gives everyone the same share. By shares uses the numbers you enter (for example nights stayed). By percentage uses agreed percentages. By income splits in proportion to each person's income.
- Balance: paid minus fair share. A positive balance means the person gets money back; a negative one means they owe. Balances always add up to zero.
- Settle up: the person who owes the most pays the person who is owed the most, and the step repeats until everyone is even. This keeps the number of payments small.
Example
Four friends spent $480 on a weekend. Aisha paid $300, Ben $120, Chen nothing and Dina $60. Split equally, each share is $120. Aisha is owed $180, Ben is even, Chen owes $120 and Dina owes $60. Two payments settle everything: Chen pays Aisha $120 and Dina pays Aisha $60. (These are the example values already filled in above.)
Which method should I use?
- Equally: roommates with similar rooms, a shared dinner, a short trip.
- By shares: when people used different amounts, such as nights in a villa (3, 3 and 1).
- By percentage: long-term agreements, such as 60/40 on a car.
- By income: couples or families who want each person to pay the same proportion of what they earn.
Questions
Do the percentages have to add up to 100?
They should. If they do not, the calculator scales them so the full total is still split, and shows a warning.
Can I use different currencies?
Enter all amounts in one currency. On trips, convert each expense at the rate on the day it was paid, then enter the converted amounts.
Why are there fewer payments than expenses?
Only the net balance per person matters. Matching the biggest debtor with the biggest creditor settles everyone with the fewest transfers.
Is anything sent or saved?
No. Names and amounts stay in your browser.
Want the method behind it? Read: How to split shared expenses fairly: equal, by income, or by use
Read the guideResults are estimates for planning. They are not financial advice. Check important numbers before you rely on them.