Trip cost split calculator
Everyone paid for different things. Enter what each person actually paid and how many shares they are taking, and see the fewest payments that settle it.
How this is calculated
Everything paid by everybody is added up. That total is then divided by the total number of shares to get a cost per share.
Each person should have paid their share count multiplied by the cost per share. The difference between that and what they actually paid is their balance.
People owed money are matched against people who owe it, largest first, which produces the smallest number of transfers that settles everyone.
Shares handle uneven splits. A couple takes 2, a solo traveller takes 1, and someone who only came for half the trip can take 0.5. It does not matter who booked what.
Rates used · 2026/27
| Cost per share | total paid divided by total shares |
| Balance | what you paid less what you owed |
| Settlement | largest debtor matched to largest creditor |
| Shares | use decimals for partial stays |
Last checked July 2026. Source: HMRC and gov.uk.
Worked example
Four people spend £1,715 between them. Two couples take 2 shares each and two solo travellers take 1, so 6 shares at £285.83 each. Alex paid £1,240 and is owed £668. Three payments settle it: Kim pays Alex £285.83, Sam pays £191.67 and Jo pays £190.83.
Common questions
How do I handle someone who came for half the trip?
Give them 0.5 shares, or whatever proportion matches. Shares do not have to be whole numbers.
What if one person should not share a cost at all?
Take that cost out of the total and settle it separately. This works on a single shared pot, which covers most trips.
Does it matter who booked what?
No. Only the total each person paid matters, so it makes no difference whether one person put the whole villa on their card.
Why so few payments?
Because matching the largest debt to the largest credit clears both quickly. Settling person by person would need far more transfers for the same result.