Default Splits
Written By Bradley Bernard
Last updated 4 months ago
Default Splits let you automatically apply your preferred split ratios to every new expense. This premium feature saves time when you consistently split expenses the same way.
What Are Default Splits?
Instead of manually adjusting splits each time you create an expense, you set your preferences once:
Split everything 60/40 with your partner
Always exclude yourself from certain expenses
Give roommate A 50%, roommate B 30%, yourself 20%
Every new expense in that group automatically uses these ratios.
How to Set Up Default Splits
Open your group
Go to Settings
Find Default Splits
Assign a percentage to each member (must total 100%)
Save your settings
Now when you create a new expense, these splits apply automatically.
Adjusting Individual Expenses
Default splits are just the starting point. You can always:
Override the defaults for specific expenses
Add or remove people from individual expenses
Switch to equal splits or exact amounts when needed
The defaults make the common case easy while keeping flexibility.
How It Works with Non-Premium Users
This is important to understand:
You have premium: When you create expenses, your default splits apply
Group member without premium: When they create expenses, defaults don't apply—they get standard equal splits
Default splits are tied to the expense creator's premium status. If you want defaults to apply to all expenses, all members who create expenses need premium.
Note: Non-premium users won't see "No Splits" when defaults are configured. They'll see the standard equal split behavior as a fallback.
Percentage vs Equal Splits
Default splits work with percentages:
50% / 50% = equal split
60% / 40% = one person pays more
33.33% / 33.33% / 33.34% = three-way split
You can set any ratio that totals 100%.
Changing Default Splits
To update your defaults:
Go to group Settings
Modify the Default Splits percentages
Save
Changes apply to future expenses. Previously created expenses keep their original splits.
Removing Default Splits
To go back to manual splitting:
Go to group Settings
Clear or disable Default Splits
Save
New expenses will start with equal splits by default again.
Common Questions
Q: Can I set different defaults for different categories? Not currently. Default splits apply to all expenses in a group regardless of category.
Q: What happens if I add a new member to the group? You'll need to update your default splits to include the new member. The system doesn't automatically adjust percentages when membership changes.
Q: Do default splits affect imported expenses? No. Imported expenses from CSV or Splitwise use the splits from the import file. Defaults only apply to manually created expenses.
Q: Can each person have their own defaults? Default splits are per-group, not per-user. Everyone in the group sees the same default configuration. However, only premium users can create expenses using those defaults.
Q: Why does it say "Upgrade to auto-apply" when I already have premium? If you're seeing this message despite having premium, try logging out and back in. If it persists, contact support—there may be a sync issue with your subscription status.