Settling up

Together

Balanced keeps a running balance for every member and suggests a few payments that even everything out. Pay each other, record it, done.

After a trip or at the end of a month, someone has paid more than their share and someone less. Shared expenses explains how Balanced works that out. This page is about evening it out.

The balances

Anna, Bob and Carl are back from Prague. Anna paid €60 for dinner, Bob €45 for the museum, and both were split equally between the three of them. Each person’s share is €35.

MembersSettle up3

Anna
paid €60.00 · share €35.00gets back €25.001

Bob
paid €45.00 · share €35.00gets back €10.00

Carl
paid €0.00 · share €35.00owes €35.002

1. In a journal with members, the overview has a Members section. Each member shows their balance: who gets money back, and who owes. A member with nothing to get or pay shows settled up.
2. Below the name: how much they paid and what their share was.
3. Settle up opens the suggested payments.

Balances count the transactions up to today. A planned expense counts once its date has come.

As long as members only pay for split expenses and pay each other, the balances add up to zero. A payment that isn’t split, or money a member puts into a joint account, is owed to them by the group as a whole, not by another member. Once everyone who owes has paid, Balanced suggests no more payments, even if someone still gets money back.

Settle up

Settle Up

Suggested Payments

Carl → Anna€25.00Record1

Carl → Bob€10.00Record

Pay each other the usual way, then record the payment.

Members

Anna
paid €60.00 · share €35.00gets back €25.002

Bob
paid €45.00 · share €35.00gets back €10.00

Carl
paid €0.00 · share €35.00owes €35.00

＋ Add Member

1. Under Suggested Payments, Balanced suggests who pays whom. Pay each other the usual way, in cash or by bank transfer, then tap Record next to the payment.
2. Below are the members. Tap one to change their details, or add someone with Add Member.

Balanced keeps the payments few: never more than one fewer than there are members. Whoever owes the most pays the one who gets back the most first. Balanced doesn’t send any money itself. It only records what you’ve paid each other.

Record a payment

Record opens the transaction editor with a payment that’s already filled in: today’s date, the member who gets the money with the suggested amount, and the member who pays. Paid by says Several, because the transaction moves money between two members. Save it, and both balances update.

Carl paid Anna

Equity:Anna

+25.00

Equity:Carl

−25.00

Balanced

0.00 ✓

Anna is now settled up, and Carl still owes €10, to Bob.

Paying in part. If Carl only pays Anna €15 for now, change the amount on Anna’s line before you save. Carl’s line follows by itself. Anna still gets back €10 and Carl owes €20. Balanced then suggests that Carl pays €10.00 each to Anna and Bob.

Paid without the suggestion? Record any payment between members as a new transaction: choose Several… in Paid by, then pick both members under Members in the account menu. The lists show it as Carl paid Anna.

When there’s nothing left to pay, the sheet says All settled up.

Settling up and the budget

Payments between members don’t change your budget. The money only changes hands within the group: nothing is spent, and nothing new comes in. See The group and my share.