BananaTabNot everyone did everything
Someone skipped a dinner, arrived Saturday, or left early. Say so, and their share only covers what they were there for.
Split trip expenses by text.
The Airbnb, the groceries, the gas, the one dinner that got out of hand. Keep one tab for the trip, text BananaTab each cost as it happens, and settle once on the way home with a single Venmo request per person. Nobody needs an app.
How it works
Open a tab for the trip
Text BananaTab “Tahoe trip, me, Priya, Sam and Jordan.” That's the tab. Everything for the weekend goes on it.
Add things as they happen
“Airbnb was $840.” “Groceries $126.” Send the dinner receipt as a photo. Say who was there if it wasn't everyone.
Check the split
BananaTab texts back each person's total across everything on the tab, with tax, tip and fees spread in proportion. Change anything by replying.
Settle once
Say “send it.” Each person gets a receipt for their share of the whole trip and a single Venmo request. You watch the money come in.
tahoe trip w priya sam jordan. airbnb was 840
Got it. Tahoe tab open, Airbnb $840 on it. Add things as you go. 🍌
groceries 126. jordan wasn't at dinner sat, that was 212
Added. Groceries $126 four ways, Saturday dinner $212 three ways without Jordan.
send it
Priya $312.17 · Sam $312.17 · Jordan $241.50. Each gets a receipt and a Venmo request. Sending?
yes
Odd cents land on you, never on your friends. Nothing goes out until you say yes.
What a trip throws at you
Different people paid
You got the Airbnb, Sam got the groceries, Priya got the gas. BananaTab nets it out so each person owes one number to one person.
Fees and tips
Cleaning fees, service charges, the tip on the big dinner: spread in proportion to what each person is responsible for.
The receipt with 40 lines
Photograph it. Name who had what if it matters. Shared plates are divided among whoever shared them. Restaurant bills in detail.
Who has paid
Every request is tracked. Ask "who still owes me?" on Tuesday and get a list. Reminders go out only when you approve them.
Everyone's inbox
Each person gets one text: a receipt for their share of the trip and one request. No group thread, no download, no account.
Why one tab beats a spreadsheet
The spreadsheet fails at the same point every time: the end of the trip, when someone has to reconstruct four days of who paid for what from memory and a pile of receipts. A tab you add to as things happen has none of that. The Airbnb goes on it the day you book. Groceries go on it in the checkout line. The dinner goes on it as a photo before you've left the table. By Sunday the split already exists, and settling is one word.
It also fixes the social part. Nobody has to chase anyone. The requests come from BananaTab, each one itemised, and the people who paid get told as the money comes in.
Trips this is built for
The weekend away
Four to eight people, one house, three days. One tab, settled Sunday night.
The bachelor or bachelorette
Many people, many venues, one organizer fronting most of it. Add each night as it happens; nobody is reconstructing the bar tab a week later.
The road trip
Gas, motels, meals. Whoever paid says so; the tab keeps running until you're home.
The ski or beach house
A big deposit up front and a hundred small things after. Put the deposit on the tab first, so the requests at the end cover the whole trip in one go.
Sharing costs with the same people for months rather than a weekend? A ledger app fits that better. BananaTab vs Splitwise lays out which fits which.
Questions people ask
Do my friends need an app to split trip costs?
No. Everyone on the trip gets a text with a receipt link showing what they owe and why, plus a Venmo request for that amount. They need Venmo to pay and nothing else.
What if different people paid for different things?
Tell BananaTab who paid for what, and it nets everything out so each person owes one amount. If you'd rather keep it simple, have one person front the trip and settle it all at the end.
What if someone skipped a dinner or arrived a day late?
Say so. “Jordan wasn't at Friday dinner” or “Sam only did two nights” and their share is adjusted. Each person's receipt shows exactly what they're paying for.
Can I settle as we go instead of at the end?
Yes. Say “send it” any time and requests go out for what's on the tab so far. Most groups settle once, on the way home.
Does BananaTab handle tax, fees and tips?
Yes. Tax, tip, cleaning fees and service charges are spread in proportion to what each person is responsible for, so nobody subsidises anyone else. Odd cents land on the organizer, never on friends.
Will it send reminders to people who haven't paid?
Only when you approve them. Ask “who still owes me?” and say yes to a nudge. It stops after three per person.
What does it cost?
Splitting is free. Standard message and data rates from your carrier may apply. Reply STOP at any time to stop receiving texts.
Open a tab for the trip.
Text the first cost. Add the rest as they happen. Settle once.