Simplified Debts vs Original Debts

Written By Bradley Bernard

Last updated 4 months ago

SplitMyExpenses offers two ways to view balances: Simplified Debts and Original Debts. Understanding the difference is essential, especially when you need to remove group members or understand exactly who owes whom.

What's the Difference?

Original Debts

Shows the actual debts based on who paid for what. If Alice paid for your lunch and Bob paid for your dinner, you owe Alice and Bob separately.

Simplified Debts

Restructures debts to minimize the number of payments needed. Instead of making two separate payments, you might pay one person who then settles with the other.

Example

Original scenario:

  • Alice owes Bob $20

  • Bob owes Charlie $30

  • Charlie owes Alice $10

With Original Debts, three payments are needed.

With Simplified Debts, the system calculates that:

  • Alice pays Charlie $10

  • Bob pays Charlie $10

Two payments instead of three—same net result, fewer transactions.

How to Toggle This Setting

  1. Open your group

  2. Click the Settings (gear icon)

  3. Find Simplify Debts

  4. Toggle on or off

Note: This setting applies to everyone in the group, not just you. Changing it affects what all members see.

Why This Matters for Removing Members

This is the most common issue users encounter:

"I can't remove a member even though they're settled up!"

When Simplified Debts is enabled, a member might appear "settled" in the simplified view, but still have outstanding debts in the original calculation. The system won't let you remove someone with any outstanding original debts.

How to Fix This

  1. Turn off Simplified Debts temporarily in group settings

  2. Check if the member has any original debts

  3. Settle those debts with a payment

  4. Then remove the member

  5. Re-enable Simplified Debts if desired

When to Use Each

Use Simplified Debts when:

  • Your group has many members

  • You want to minimize the number of payments

  • Everyone trusts the system to calculate correctly

Use Original Debts when:

  • You need to remove group members

  • You want to see exactly who owes whom

  • Someone prefers to pay the specific person they owe

  • You're troubleshooting unexpected balances

Common Questions

Q: The sidebar shows different amounts than I expect. Why? If Simplified Debts is on, the balances shown are optimized for fewer transactions. They may not match the actual expense-by-expense calculations.

Q: Can individuals choose their own preference? No—Simplify Debts is a group-wide setting. All members see the same view.

Q: Does this affect how I settle up? Yes. With Simplified Debts on, you might be directed to pay someone different than who actually paid for your expenses. The end result is the same financially.

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