Payments – especially between friends – are always a little awkward. You might get stuck splitting a dinner bill equally when you only had an appetiser and water, or your one friend who always forgets to pay you back forgot their wallet (again). Well, there are now bill-splitting apps that are designed to make payments between friends, groups or anyone else a lot easier.
What are bill-splitting apps?
Bill-splitting apps are smartphone applications that allow you to divide up bills between friends, family and anyone else, and some even link to your credit or debit card so that you can send money instantly.
Whether you’re out to dinner, planning a weekend away or coordinating any other purchase with a group, these apps let you split up the cost so that everyone pays their fair share. They’re available on your smartphone’s app store, so all you’ll need to do is download the app, sign up and start splitting.
Compare bill-splitting apps
There are a number of apps that allow you to send money to other banks, request money you’re owed or split a bill between a group. You can also use some of them to manage ongoing costs like shared expenses between roommates or sports teams.
App
Fee
How it works
Best for
Settle Up
Free
Manage shared expenses with friends, track receipts and past bills and show who pays next.
Friends
Keeping track of recurring costs
Splid
Free
Enter all of your shared expenses and the app shows exactly how much everyone owes and to whom. Works in over 150 currencies and allows you to download summaries as PDF for offline use.
Friends and small groups
Shared or ongoing expenses
Trips
Splittr
Free
Split bills between groups, request money and track when you’ve received payment.
One-off bills
Group payments
Multiple expense splitting
Splitwise
Free
Create groups to track ongoing or one-off expenses. Shared expenses and outstanding payments are kept in one place where everyone in the group can see the amount they owe. Download Plates by Splitwise for a tool that’s tailored for use at restaurants and bars.
Flatmates or groups
Track ongoing expenses
Tabs on multiple groups
Tab
Free
Take a picture of your receipt and tap your items to claim them. Tax and tip are calculated for you, allowing you to easily split bills between friends
Friends and groups
Restaurants or other shared expenses
Tricount
Free
Anyone in the group can add expenses, bills and other costs and the app will calculate who owes what. It finds the most efficient way for everyone to pay what they owe, allows you to attach payment methods then mark your outstanding expenses as paid.
Couples or friends
Ongoing expenses for trips, flatmates and more
What types of payments can I split?
Depending on which app you choose, you can split a number of different expenses:
Rent payments
Household expenses
Restaurant or bar bills
Ongoing group or team expenses
Hotel bookings, taxis or other travel expenses
How to compare bill-splitting apps
There are a few different apps out there, so here’s what to keep in mind when comparing your options:
What is it best for? Each app allows you to split bills, but some are designed for specific purposes. Consider whether you’ll be using it for restaurant bills, bar tabs, shared expenses between flatmates or any other purpose.
What features does it offer? With so many options available, you’ll want to think about what features they each offer. This could include things like integrated notifications, uneven bill-splitting, recurring expenses, tip, taxes and beyond.
Who can you split payments with? Some apps require everyone involved in the payment to sign up to the app, while others can send money to and request payments from people even if they don’t have the app installed. Check what restrictions apply and find out how many people you’re allowed to split bills with.
Can you make payments? Some of these apps allow you to send and receive payments directly through the app, which could be very convenient. If that’s the case, you might also want to look into how quickly payments are made.
Are there fees? While many of these options are free, some of them require you to purchase the app or offer the option to unlock more features through in-app purchases. Keep an eye out for these fees and find out if there are any charges to send money within the app.
Compatible devices. Make sure the app you have chosen can be downloaded on your smartphone – that is, either Android or iOS.
Are bill-splitting apps safe?
Generally, yes, but it’s best if you check the safety and security features of any bill-splitting app you sign up to. Some of them offer bank-level security when making payments, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure before you start using it. If an app also comes with a prepaid or debit card, you can check the product disclosure statement to see who is issuing the card and which company will be responsible if your money is lost.
For most standalone apps, you can usually find information regarding security on the provider’s website. This information may include where your information is stored and how secure it is and who to contact if there are security issues with your account.
How to sign up for a bill-splitting app
The sign-up process will differ greatly between providers and whether or not you need to link your bank account. And with some apps, you might also need to confirm your identity using your driver’s licence, passport or other ID. Generally speaking, you can download the app from your smartphone’s app store and the sign-up process should be clear once you open the app.
Other ways to send payments between friends
If you’ve already figured out how to split the bill and you’re just looking to send money or get paid for a recent bill, you can try using these options:
PayPal. Send or receive money to a mobile number or email address and link a credit or debit card to withdraw funds.
Facebook Messenger. Send free money transfers by linking your debit card and clicking the dollar sign in the chat window with your intended recipient.
Monzo. Send money to anyone by email, text or through social media without needing to know their bank details.
Google Pay. Link your debit card or bank account to send money to an email address or phone number for free.
Cash app. Link an account or set up a customisable “Cash Card” debit card to send money to friends and family for free. It even integrates into Siri and iMessage.
Pros and cons of bill-splitting apps
Pros
Some bill-splitting apps do not require the people you wish to split with to have downloaded the app in order to make and receive payments.
Some apps allow you to make and receive payments within the app.
Cons
The sign-up process can differ between providers, so make sure you do your research to pick the right one for your needs.
Some bill-splitting ups may charge a fee.
Limited number of fee-free money transfers per month.
Bottom line
Splitting bills and other expenses with friends and family can be awkward, especially with larger groups or people you’re not as close with. Luckily, there are a number of apps that do the hard work for you by splitting up bills fairly and breaking down costs for everyone to see.
But with so many options out there, you’ll need to pick one that’s best for your situation. If the app you choose doesn’t allow you to send payments, consider a few other ways to send and receive money.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on which one you use, but most of them will allow you to split the tax and the tip.
Most of these apps are free to download and use, but many of them charge for integrated payment features or to split bills with more than one group.
In most cases, no. However, it will depend on which app you’re using. Many of them allow you to simply show the amount owed to each person, or send them a breakdown by text or email.
It will depend on which app you choose, but generally speaking, yes, you can split bills however you’d like. So if someone ate more or less than someone else, you could adjust their share to be proportionate to what they owe.
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Elizabeth Barry is Digital Managing Editor for Entertainment at Are Media and formerly the lead editor for Finder's global financial niches which includes banking, crypto and investments. She has written about finance for 10 years and is regularly featured in a range of publications and media including Seven News, the ABC, MSN, the Irish Times and Singapore Business Review. See full bio
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