{
    "name": "Trip Cost Split Calculator",
    "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/trip-cost-split-calculator",
    "markdown": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/trip-cost-split-calculator.md",
    "category": "Everyday tools",
    "description": "Enter what each traveller paid to get everyone’s fair share and the fewest payments needed to settle up, with optional unequal shares.",
    "summary": "Add up what everyone paid, work out each person’s fair share, and the difference is what they get back or owe. Debts are then settled with as few transfers as possible.",
    "also_called": [
        "Travel expense splitter",
        "Group expense calculator"
    ],
    "applies_to": "Worldwide",
    "last_updated": "2026-10-29",
    "computation": "Results are computed in the visitor’s browser on the HTML page. This API describes the calculator; it does not compute results.",
    "inputs": [
        {
            "name": "people",
            "label": "Each person: name, amount paid, share weight (optional)",
            "type": "textarea",
            "default": "Asha, 240\nBen, 60\nChen, 0\nDev, 100"
        },
        {
            "name": "currency",
            "label": "Currency",
            "type": "currency",
            "default": "USD"
        }
    ],
    "outputs": [
        {
            "key": "settlements",
            "label": "Payments to settle up",
            "format": "text"
        },
        {
            "key": "total",
            "label": "Total spent",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "equal_share",
            "label": "Average per person",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "transfers",
            "label": "Number of payments",
            "format": "integer"
        },
        {
            "key": "people_count",
            "label": "People",
            "format": "integer"
        }
    ],
    "formula": {
        "text": "Share_i = Total × w_i ÷ Σw;  Balance_i = Paid_i − Share_i;  largest debtor pays largest creditor until all balances are zero",
        "variables": {
            "w_i": "person i’s share weight (1 for an equal split)",
            "Balance_i": "positive: gets money back; negative: owes"
        }
    },
    "worked_example": {
        "inputs": {
            "people": "Asha, 240\nBen, 60\nChen, 0\nDev, 100",
            "currency": "USD"
        },
        "steps": [
            "Total = 240 + 60 + 0 + 100 = 400, so each share is 400 ÷ 4 = 100.",
            "Balances: Asha +140, Ben −40, Chen −100, Dev 0.",
            "Chen, who owes most, pays Asha 100; Ben pays Asha the remaining 40."
        ],
        "result": "Two payments settle the trip: Chen pays Asha 100 and Ben pays Asha 40."
    },
    "interpretation": "Settling the largest debts first keeps the number of payments to at most one fewer than the number of people.",
    "assumptions": [
        "Shares are rounded to the cent and any leftover cents go to the people whose exact share was closest to rounding up, so shares add up exactly to the total."
    ],
    "limitations": [
        "Expenses that only some people shared (for example, one dinner) need to be split separately or reflected in the weights."
    ],
    "rules": null,
    "faqs": [
        {
            "question": "How do I split when people stayed different numbers of nights?",
            "answer": "Add each person’s nights as the third number on their line, e.g. “Ben, 60, 3”. Shares are then proportional to nights."
        },
        {
            "question": "Can someone who paid nothing be included?",
            "answer": "Yes. Enter 0 or leave the amount out; they will owe their full share."
        }
    ],
    "sources": [],
    "related": [
        {
            "name": "Tip Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/tip-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Fuel Cost Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/fuel-cost-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Wedding Guest Budget Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/wedding-guest-budget-calculator"
        }
    ],
    "disclaimer": null,
    "publisher": "GM¹X CalcVerse"
}