Split travel costs with friends
On a trip everyone pays for something. Write down each expense when it happens and settle up once at the end, instead of sending money back and forth every night.
Add the expense right away
Three things are enough: what it cost, who paid and who was in. It takes 30 seconds in the taxi queue. Trying to remember everything on Sunday night takes a lot longer, and something always gets lost.
Put every expense in the same group. The app keeps a running balance for each person, so nobody has to keep a list in their notes.
Example: a weekend in the mountains for 4
You, Emma, Jonas and Sara go to the mountains. Four expenses, paid by different people:
| Expense | Paid by | Split between | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin, 2 nights | Emma | All 4 | $480 |
| Food | Jonas | All 4 | $160 |
| Gas | Sara | Emma, Jonas, Sara | $90 |
| Ski rental | You | You and Sara | $120 |
| Total | $850 |
You came by train, so you are not in on the gas. Only you and Sara rented skis. With everything added, this is where everyone stands:
| Person | Paid | Share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | $120 | $220 | −$100 |
| Emma | $480 | $190 | +$290 |
| Jonas | $160 | $190 | −$30 |
| Sara | $90 | $250 | −$160 |
Emma gets $290 back. That is 3 payments: you pay Emma $100, Jonas $30 and Sara $160. Then you are kvitt, Swedish for even.
When someone joins for part of the trip
Jonas arrives on Saturday morning and only stays one night? Split the cabin by shares: 2 shares for everyone who stays 2 nights and 1 share for Jonas. $480 over 7 shares is about $68.57 per share, so about $137 for those who stayed both nights and $69 for Jonas.
Shares also work for couples sharing a room, or kids who pay half.
Trips in another currency
In Kvitt each group has a group currency. If you pay for dinner in euros, the expense keeps its currency and the payment is recorded in the same currency. Exchange rates are only used to show totals, and the app shows when they were last updated.
Agree before the trip which currency you settle in. Then everyone knows what they are paying and nobody argues about rates afterwards.
A friend who does not want the app
Add them as a guest. Guests see what they owe through a private link, no account needed. Guests are part of Premium. If the guest starts using Kvitt later, they take over their spot and expenses with a personal link.
Settle up when you are home
- Open the group and tap Settle up.
- Choose who you are paying. The app shows the amount.
- Pay them your usual way. In Sweden one tap opens Swish with the amount filled in.
- When the money has gone, tap Yes, paid.
When every balance is 0, you are kvitt. Nobody has to redo the maths.
Questions
How do you split travel costs fairly?
Add each expense with who paid and who took part. Whoever was not in on an expense does not share it. At the end, people with a negative balance pay those with a positive one.
What if someone was only there for half the trip?
Split lodging by shares based on nights, for example 2 shares for 2 nights and 1 share for 1 night. Food and activities are split only between those who were there.
Can we add expenses in another currency?
Yes. Each expense keeps the currency it was entered in, and the group has a group currency for settling debts.
Is there a limit on how many expenses we can add?
No. Kvitt has no expense limit and no ads, free or in Premium.