Road trip
Split fuel and tolls equally; let each person buy their own meals. Track lodging in the splitter and pay-as-you-go for everything else.
Free travel budget tool
Split a group trip without the awkward maths
Add travellers and shared expenses. See who paid, who owes what, and the cleanest set of payments to settle up.
Ways to split a trip fairly
- 01
Equal split
Everyone pays the same share. The default for shared meals, group taxis, and most day-to-day costs.
- 02
Per night
For accommodation when one person arrives later or leaves earlier. Split the nightly rate by the people there each night.
- 03
By shares
Use shares (1, 2, 3) when one person uses more — a couple in one room, a friend who skipped half the activities, a kid who eats half a portion.
- 04
Pay-as-you-go
Some costs (drinks, optional tours) are simpler if each person pays for what they used. Split everything else.
- 05
Round robin
For small expenses: take turns picking up the bill. Cheap and friendly, but only works when costs roughly even out.
- 06
Income-based
For mixed-income groups, allocate by share of total income. Touchy — discuss before the trip, not after.
By trip type
Airbnb / villa
Split by night, not by total. Anyone with a private bedroom can take an extra share for the room weighting.
Ski trip
Lift passes, gear hire, and lodging through the splitter. Lessons and après-ski stay personal.
Bachelor / hen
Most groups exclude the guest of honour from their share of the trip. Split the rest equally and confirm before booking.
Wedding weekend
Split lodging and shared cars. Skip dinners that everyone is paying for separately.
Family travel
Couples count as 2 shares, kids as 0.5 to 1 share depending on age. Track tickets and meals together.
Questions
1001How do you split group trip costs fairly?
Add each traveller, enter shared expenses with who paid, and choose either an equal split (the default) or custom shares when one person used more. The tool shows what each person paid, what their share is, and the cleanest set of payments to settle up.
02What expenses should I include?
Anything paid by one person on behalf of the group: accommodation, transport, fuel, tolls, groceries, group meals, activities, parking, even shared snacks at the supermarket. Personal items (a souvenir, an extra coffee) usually stay off the splitter.
03When should I use shares instead of an equal split?
When one person used more or less than everyone else. Two people in a private room? Give them 2 shares of the lodging. Someone skipped the kayak tour? Give them 0 shares of that expense. A non-drinker? Give them 0 shares of the bar bill.
04Does this work for couples or families?
Yes. Most groups treat a couple as 2 shares but one paying wallet — list both names, give each their shares per expense, and let one of them pay. For kids, half-shares (0.5) often feel about right.
05Can I split in different currencies?
Pick one currency for the whole trip and convert anything paid in another currency at the rate on the day they paid. Future versions of TripMemo will track per-expense currency automatically.
06Does it save my trip if I close the tab?
Yes. The trip is saved automatically in your browser's local storage. Nothing leaves your device. Press Reset to clear it.
07What does "settle up" mean?
It is the smallest set of money transfers that makes everyone even. The biggest debtor pays the biggest creditor first, and the calculation repeats until balances are zero. For a group of n, you get at most n − 1 transfers.
08Is this an alternative to Splitwise?
It works for the same job, but as a one-page calculator without an app or signup. Splitwise is better if you have many overlapping trips and want a long-running ledger; TripMemo is better for a single trip you want to settle up and move on.
09What about tax and tips on shared meals?
Either include them in the meal total when you enter the expense, or add a separate "Tip" line and split it the same way as the meal. Whichever is easier for the group.
10What if someone refuses to pay?
The calculator shows the math — the rest is people. Send the copyable summary to the group chat early so the numbers are agreed during the trip rather than after it.
Last updated 6 May 2026. Settle-up math uses a greedy minimum-cash-flow algorithm; results land in at most n − 1 transactions for n people.
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