How do I split bills with friends?

Create a trip, add your friends as participants, then add expenses. Otter automatically calculates who owes whom and shows the minimal payments needed to settle up.

Is Otter free to use?

Yes, Otter is completely free with zero fees. No sign-up or account required—just create a trip and share the link.

How to Split a Dinner Bill Fairly

Group dinners are fun until the check arrives. Here's how to split the bill without the awkward math or uneven splits.

Why splitting the bill gets tricky

You've all had that moment: the server brings the check, and everyone reaches for their phones. One person had appetizers and wine, another stuck to a salad. Some want to split evenly, others want to pay only for what they ordered. Splitting a dinner bill fairly shouldn't feel like a negotiation—and with the right approach, it doesn't have to.

Ways to split a restaurant bill

•Equal split — Everyone pays the same amount. Best when orders are similar (e.g., everyone had a main and a drink).
•Split by item — Each person pays for what they ordered. Fair, but requires itemizing the check.
•Custom amounts — Someone had the steak, someone had the soup. Assign different amounts per person for a fair split.
•One person pays, everyone Venmos — One card gets swiped; everyone else sends their share. This is where a bill splitter app shines.

Use Otter to split dinner bills in seconds

Otter makes dinner bill splitting simple. Create a quick "Dinner" trip, add your friends, and log who paid and how much each person owes. Equal split, custom amounts per person—whatever fits your group. Share the trip link and everyone can see the math. No sign-up, no account, no chasing people for their share. At the end of the night, you know exactly who owes what.

Perfect for birthday dinners, work happy hours, friend reunions, or regular dinner groups. One person grabs the check, everyone else opens Otter and settles up.

Pro tips

Decide before you order: equal split or by item? It saves confusion at the end. If someone covers the tip, add it as an expense so it gets split too. And for recurring dinner groups, keep one Otter trip and add each dinner as a new expense—you'll always know the running tally.