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Updated
Payments — especially between friends — are always a little awkward. You might get stuck splitting a dinner bill equally when you only had an appetizer and water, or your one friend who always forgets to pay you back forgot their wallet (again). Well, there are now apps that are designed to make payments between friends, groups or anyone else a lot easier.
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 mobile phone’s app store, so all you’ll need to do is download the app, sign up and start splitting.
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 |
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Billr | App costs $1.99 | List costs, split shared items, set tax and tip amounts, show up to 16 people what they owe and send copies of the split by text or email. |
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Settle Up | App costs $1.99 | Manage shared expenses with friends, track receipts and past bills and show who pays next. |
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Google Wallet | Free | Connect your debit card and tap up to five friends to split bills with. Add the total cost of the bill or individual amounts then send and receive money directly from the app. |
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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. |
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Easyshare | Free | Pay bills, rent and split expenses between housemates. |
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Splitr | App is free | Split bills between groups, request money and track when you’ve received payment. |
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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 |
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Splid | Free for one group, $0.99 for two, $1.99 for unlimited | 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. |
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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. |
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Depending on which app you choose, you can split a number of different expenses:
There are a few different apps out there, so here’s what to keep in mind when comparing your options:
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.
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 license, passport or other state-issued ID. Generally speaking, you can download the app from your mobile phone’s app store and the sign-up process should be clear once you open the app.
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:
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.
Best for
£125 switch incentive
Best for
£100 switch incentive
Best for
App experience
Best for
Market leading interest rate(1.25%)
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