Split a group dinner or birthday gift without an app
A birthday dinner and a gift, paid for by different people, do not need an app on every phone. One person enters who paid what, and each guest opens a link that says what to pay and to whom. The birthday guest can be left out of the gift and still share the dinner.
A worked example
Hana, Ivo, Jo, Kai and Lia celebrate Lia's birthday.
- Ivo paid 213.00 for the dinner, shared by all five: 42.60 each.
- Hana paid 84.50 for the gift, shared by the four guests other than Lia: 21.13 for Hana and Ivo, 21.12 for Jo and Kai.
- Jo paid 18.50 for a card and wrapping, shared by the same four: 4.63 for Hana and Ivo, 4.62 for Jo and Kai.
The odd cents go to the first people on the list, so the shares always add up to what was paid.
| Person | Paid | Share | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hana | 84.50 | 68.36 | is owed 16.14 |
| Ivo | 213.00 | 68.36 | is owed 144.64 |
| Jo | 18.50 | 68.34 | owes 49.84 |
| Kai | 0.00 | 68.34 | owes 68.34 |
| Lia | 0.00 | 42.60 | owes 42.60 |
The shares add up to 316.00, the group total. Four payments settle everything: Kai pays Ivo 68.34, Jo pays Ivo 49.84, Lia pays Ivo 26.46 and Lia pays Hana 16.14.
Why not divide by five
Dividing the total by five would charge Lia for the gift and ignore who already paid. Listing who took part in each expense avoids both. Each guest gets a link with only their own payments and the group total.
Try it
Enter your own guests in the Per-Person Owe Links tool: add each expense with who paid and who took part, then copy a link for each guest. For groups of up to 10 people it finds the fewest possible payments.
Privacy and limits
- Your data lives only in the link. Nothing is stored on a server, and anyone with a link can see its contents.
- This tool does not process payments, does not hold money and gives no financial advice. It only does the arithmetic; people pay each other however they choose.
- It is offered as-is, with no warranty. Check the numbers before anyone pays.