How to split group expenses in different currencies on a trip
Multi-country trips create a classic headache: one person paid the hotel in euros, another paid dinner in yen, someone else paid the car in dollars. At the end, who owes what — and in which currency?
Approach 1: convert everything to one currency
Pick the group's home currency and convert each expense at the rate of the day. It gives one clean balance and one set of payments. The catch: the bank rate each person actually got is slightly different, so small differences appear.
Approach 2: keep a separate balance per currency
Each currency is its own ledger: euro expenses settle in euros, yen expenses in yen. Nobody loses money on exchange rates, and it's ideal when you'll settle up while still abroad or when people hold cash in that currency.
Which one should you pick?
- Short trip, everyone back home soon: convert everything — simpler.
- Long trip, or people living in different countries: separate balances per currency.
- Not sure: start separate; you can convert later.
How Settlia handles it
Turn on "Balances per currency" in the group settings. Each expense keeps its own currency, and the Balances tab shows one block per currency. When you're ready, Convert all merges them into the main currency at today's rate — and you can undo it exactly. Scanning a receipt abroad detects its currency automatically.
FAQ
How do you split expenses in different currencies?
Either convert each expense to one currency at the day's rate, or keep a separate balance per currency and settle each in its own currency.
Which exchange rate should a group use?
The rate of the day of the expense is the usual standard. Small differences with each bank's rate are normal.
Can I scan a foreign receipt?
Yes. Settlia detects the receipt's currency and lets you keep it in that currency or convert it.
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