User Guide

Welcome to Paji Splitly! We are dedicated to solving the age-old awkward questions like "Who pays for this?" and "Who owes whom?" Whether it's a dinner with friends, couple's bookkeeping, or a group trip, we have the simplest and most intuitive solution for you.

🚀 Quick Start

Step 1: Add Participants

  1. Add Participant: Click "Add Participant" on the home page and enter names (e.g., Alice, Bob).
  2. Import from Contacts: After logging in, you can select frequent friends directly from your "Address Book" to save time.
  3. Group Settings: Click the settings icon ⚙️ at the top right to rename the group or manage members.

Step 2: Record Expenses

Whether it's food, transport, or accommodation, record it instantly:

  1. Click the "Add Expense" button.
  2. Enter the Item Name (e.g., Pizza, Taxi) and Amount.
  3. Select Who Paid (Payer).
  4. Select Split Method (Who should share this cost).
    • Tip: Use the "Batch Add" feature to enter multiple receipts at once.

Step 3: Settlement

The system automatically calculates all debts and suggests the "Minimum Transfers" required.

  • View Results: In the "Settlement" section, see who owes whom.
    • Green: Money others owe you (Receivable).
    • Red: Money you owe others (Payable).
  • Mark as Settled: After you pay your friend back, click the settlement card (or personal bill) and check "Mark as Settled" to clear the debt.
  • Partial Repayment: If you only pay part of it now, use "Partial Settle" in the personal bill and enter the amount. The remaining debt stays open.
  • Payer Edit Warning: If an expense has affected settlement history (including settled or repaid records), changing payer/amount/split rule will show a warning first with affected members and before/after changes.
  • Share Bill: Click the "Share" button to send the settlement results as an image or text to your group chat.

Step 4: Multi-user Collaboration

Tired of tracking expenses alone? Invite friends to join the group and track together!

  1. Get Invite Link: Click Settings ⚙️ at the top right, select "Invite Link" or "QR Code".
  2. Share with Friends: Send the link to your messaging group (e.g., WhatsApp, Messenger).
  3. Join Group: Friends click the link, select their name (or add a new one), and start collaborating.
  • All actions are synced in real-time. No more sending screenshots back and forth!

🛠 Features

1. Flexible Split Modes

Not all costs need to be split equally. We support flexible rules:

  • Equal: Most common. Selected people split the cost equally.
  • Shares: Distribute by ratio (e.g., Couple = 2 shares, Single = 1 share).
  • Exact Amount: Specify exactly how much each person pays.
  • Percentage: Distribute by percentage (e.g., A pays 60%, B pays 40%).

2. Edit & Delete

Made a mistake?

  • Click the ✏️ (Pencil Icon) on an expense item to edit amount, people, or notes.
  • Click the 🗑️ (Trash Icon) to delete the expense.
  • All actions have a "History", so you can Undo any accidental deletions.
  • If the expense is tied to settlement/repayment history, the editor shows a Before / After debt comparison to prevent accidental changes.

3. Smart Import

Have expense data in text format?

  • Paste Text: Paste text (e.g., Lunch, 120) and the system parses it automatically.
  • File Upload: Upload CSV or text files for batch processing.

4. Lucky Draw

Who buys the drinks? Who takes out the trash?

  • Use the "Lucky Draw" feature to randomly select one (or more) lucky winners.
  • Fair, transparent, and fun.

5. Personal Stats

Want to know how much you spent on this trip?

  • Check the "Personal Stats" report, including:
    • Total Paid: The actual amount you paid out of pocket.
    • Lent / Borrowed: Your current net position.
    • Top Interactions: See who is your biggest creditor or debtor.

6. Cloud Sync (Login Required)

  • Real-time Collaboration: Share the link with friends so everyone can add expenses from their own phones simultaneously.
  • Data Security: Data is stored in the cloud, safe from phone switches or cache clearing.

💡 Common Scenarios

Scenario A: Simple Dinner (Equal Split)

Situation: Alice, Bob, and Carol have hotpot for $150. Alice pays first.

  • Action: Add expense $150, Payer: Alice, Split by: Alice, Bob, Carol (Equal).
  • Result: Bob gives Alice $50, Carol gives Alice $50.

Scenario B: Paid for Someone Else (Reimbursement)

Situation: Alice buys a movie ticket ($30) for Bob. Alice pays, but it's for Bob.

  • Action: Add expense $30, Payer: Alice, Split by: Only check Bob.
  • Result: Bob owes Alice $30.

Scenario C: Couple/Family Trip (Shares)

Situation: Alice (with husband, 2 people) and Bob (single, 1 person) travel. Bob pays $300 for hotel.

  • Action:
    • Payer: Bob.
    • Split Mode: "Shares".
    • Set Weights: Alice = 2, Bob = 1.
  • Result: Alice owes Bob $200.

Scenario D: Complex Shopping (Mixed)

Situation: A, B, C go shopping. A pays total $210.

  • Tissue $100 (Shared by all).
  • A's snacks $50.
  • B and C's drinks $60.
  • Tip: Enter as 3 separate items or use "Batch Add".
    1. Tissue 100 -> Split A, B, C
    2. Snacks 50 -> Split A
    3. Drinks 60 -> Split B, C
  • Result: The system sums up everyone's share and calculates final debt.

Scenario E: Edited Expense After Settlement (Direction Reversal)

Situation: Originally B paid $100, so A owed B $50, and A marked it as settled. Later, the expense is corrected to B actually paid only $50.

  • System behavior:
    1. A warning appears first, showing affected members (A, B) and the before/after comparison.
    2. Existing "settled" records are treated as real repayment cash flow during recalculation, not just removed as a tag.
  • Result: It can flip from "A owes B" to "B owes A"; in this case it becomes B owes A $25.

🎯 Common Scenarios

Nobody wants to sign up → Guest mode + fruit nicknames, done in 3 min

Late-night snack, impromptu office dinner — nobody's logged in, someone needs to catch a ride. Start with Guest Mode, assign fruit nicknames (Apple, Banana...), have one person quickly enter all expenses on one phone, check "Settlement Results" on the spot. Change nicknames to real names later if needed.

Tip: Match nicknames to seating order (left to right) for faster identification. Screenshot the settlement screen before leaving as a receipt.

Rushing before checkout → Settle debts one by one in 10 min

Rushing before checkout — first add any final expenses (breakfast, parking), confirm payment paths in "Settlement Results", then have each debtor tap "Settle Debt" to mark payments. For unpaid items, note the amount + deadline + payee.

Tip: Process from largest to smallest amounts — settle high-risk payments first. Mark as settled the moment you confirm the transfer, don't wait until "later."

Everyone's paying for different things → Invite co-editors, payer records

On group trips, use "Invite to Co-edit" so everyone joins the same bill. Rule: the payer records the expense, not whoever is free. Spend 2 minutes before bed each night reviewing "Settlement Results" for a quick check-in.

Avoiding duplicates: Assign expense categories upfront (meals → A, transport → B). If two entries look similar, check "Edit Log" for creation time and author before judging by name alone.

Fronted amount getting too large → Use partial settle to pay back early

By day two, the main payer has fronted a large sum. Use "Partial Settle" to let willing members pay back portions during the trip, reducing cash flow pressure. Settle the remainder on the last day.

Tip: Add a brief note to each partial payment (e.g., "Day2 half repaid") to avoid confusion later. Do a 3-minute reconciliation at the same time each day.

Someone joins late or cancels → Edit expenses to adjust participants

When someone joins mid-trip or cancels last minute, edit expenses to adjust participant scope. Pre-join expenses keep the original headcount; post-join expenses include the new member. For cancellations, categorize expenses as "adjustable" vs. "non-refundable."

Tip: Start adjusting from the largest expenses — differences are easiest to spot. Check settlement results after each batch to avoid compounding errors.

Some ate more, some less → Mix equal, ratio, and exact splits

A dinner with shared dishes (equal split), drinks (percentage), and personal add-ons (by shares) — mix different rules in the same bill for accuracy. For multi-night stays with room switches, record each night separately with per-night participants.

Tip: Build the equal-split backbone first, then layer on percentages and shares. Name expenses like "Night 2 + Room Type" for easy reference.

Who's buying this round? → Lucky draw picks the payer in 30 sec

Use "Lucky Draw" to randomly pick who pays for drinks or tips — done in 30 seconds. Create the expense record immediately after drawing.

Tip: Confirm headcount before drawing — remove absent members first. Create the expense right away; don't navigate to other pages first or you might forget to record it.

Need to file expenses or reconcile monthly → Export bill + edit log

After events, use "Export Bill" (Premium) to compile shareable settlement content, paired with "Edit Log" for version clarity. For monthly reviews, prioritize high-value changes first.

Tip: Verify content consistency before exporting; start messages with "This is the final version." Maintain a habit of recording expenses within 24 hours of payment — monthly reconciliation time drops by at least 40 minutes.

No internet but need to record → Edit offline, auto-sync when back

Quick-record on phone, refine on computer — enable cloud backup by logging into the same account. When offline, prioritize recording payer, amount, and participants. After reconnecting, confirm status changes from "Syncing..." to "Sync Enabled," then spot-check 3-5 recent expenses.

Tip: Assign device roles (phone for quick entry, computer for editing). First thing on a new device: spot-check 3 key expenses to confirm sync.

Travel mates don't read your language → Switch languages, align on numbers

Travel companions with different native languages each switch to their preferred interface language, then align payments using the same "Settlement Results" numbers.

Tip: Remind everyone to switch to their most comfortable language before settlement. Use recognizable terms (store names, dates) in expense names for smoother cross-language communication.

❓ FAQ

Q: What about decimals in settlement? A: The system keeps decimals by default. We recommend rounding to the nearest whole number when actually transferring money.

Q: I paid my friend. How do I clear the debt? A: Click on the debt item (or friend's name) in the settlement section to open details, then check "Mark as Settled".

Q: Can I export to Excel? A: Currently we support exporting as Image or Text summary. Excel export is coming soon.

Q: Why did my data disappear? A: If not logged in, data is only stored in browser cache. We strongly recommend logging in to ensure data persistence and sync across devices.

📞 Contact Us

If you have suggestions or find bugs, please email: paji.contact [at] gmail [dot] com

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