Equal split — 50/50
All shared expenses are settled in equal parts. Simple, transparent, classic.
- Maximum simplicity
- No argument over proportions
- Can feel unfair with a big income gap
Manifesto · 2 of 6
Who paid for what — answered before it turns into an argument.
Money in a shared household is rarely just maths. It's also fairness, trust and the feeling that in the end both contributed equally. Bon.line answers the question "who owes whom what?" with clear numbers — before it becomes an argument.
✓ Three splitting models
✓ Different per item too
✓ GDPR-compliant · Made in Germany
One transfer settles the month. No argument over gut feeling, no spreadsheet, no "but last month you…".
Four sentences nearly everyone knows.
Money arguments in relationships rarely start over one big thing. They start at many small points where gut feeling and perception drift apart.
"I'm always the one buying toilet paper"
One person does the weekly shop regularly, the other pays "something later". A creeping imbalance that nobody can really work out.
"Was that for us or just for you?"
Toiletry receipts, online orders, presents — some items are shared, others private. Without clear attribution it quickly turns into a grey zone.
"Why have I paid more again?"
At month's end the feeling that you've contributed more again — but no way to clear it up without being petty.
"We argued on our last holiday"
Bigger occasions — holiday, birthday, wedding — are the end points of many small frustrations that have built up over months.
Photo: Unsplash
Why it works
Talking about money becomes easier when everyone sees the same numbers.
Most money discussions in relationships aren't fact-based. They're gut-feeling discussions — "it feels to me like I've paid more…". As long as both sides only have their own perception, there's no shared reference point.
With Bon.line you both look at the same monthly statement. The discussion doesn't get smaller — but it becomes concrete. "In May you spent €47 more, let's split it differently next month" is a different conversation than "you always spend more".
"We don't talk less about money. We talk about it more calmly now, because we have numbers." — from beta-phase user feedback
Three ways to define fairness.
"Fair" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. Bon.line supports three common models — and you can deviate from the default rule for individual expenses at any time.
By income
Whoever earns more proportionally pays more. Example: 60/40 instead of 50/50. Both have relatively the same disposable income at the end.
- Fair distribution of the load
- Works in life phases with unequal income too
- Requires openness about salaries
Per item
Groceries 50/50, car by usage, childcare differently. Each category can have its own rule.
- Maximum fairness per life area
- Bon.line remembers default rules
- Slightly more effort to set up
Bon.line supports all three models — and you can combine or switch them any time. A single expense can also be split differently from the default rule.
Three steps to a fair settlement.
No manual entry, no spreadsheet, no end-of-month arguments.
Photograph the receipt
No matter who shops — snap the receipt, quick check, done. Online orders and manual entries possible too.
Choose the split
Per item or as a whole — assign as shared or private. Bon.line saves your default rule per category.
See the monthly settlement
At month's end Bon.line shows the balance — down to the penny. One transfer settles everything, the next month starts at zero.
Splitwise, spreadsheet, verbal — or Bon.line?
Five questions that matter for a fair split — and how the common solutions handle them.
| Function | Bon.line | Splitwise | Spreadsheet | Verbal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipt scanning by photo | Yes, AI | No | No | No |
| Splitting per item | Yes | Per receipt | Manual | No |
| Income-based split | Yes | Yes | Manual | No |
| Default rules per category | Yes | No | No | No |
| Receipt archive for warranty | Yes | No | No | No |
Relationships handle clarity better than gut feeling.
Bon.line takes the heat out of the money topic by delivering the numbers. The rest — the conversations, the decisions, the shared life — that's on you.
Try 14 days free →Photo: Unsplash
Frequently asked questions
How should couples split expenses fairly?
There are three common models: equal split (each pays 50/50), by income (whoever earns more pays proportionally more) or per item (some expenses shared, others private). Which model suits you depends on life situation and values. Bon.line supports all three — and you can deviate from the default rule for individual expenses at any time.
What if we earn different amounts?
Many couples choose an income-based split. Example: one person earns 60 %, the other 40 % of the combined net income. Then they also cover 60 % of shared expenses. Bon.line allows this percentage split per category — or you set it as the default for all shared items.
Does this work for small amounts like bread from the bakery?
Small amounts are exactly the main reason most couples or flatshares eventually stop settling properly. Bon.line is built so even a €2.40 loaf is captured in under 30 seconds — photo, confirm, done. Over a month that adds up to hundreds of pounds of clarity.
What if one of us shops considerably more than the other?
That's exactly what the settlement is for: Bon.line shows at month's end who owes whom how much. If you've spent €400 on shared shopping in a month and your partner has spent €200, the second person owes you €100 (with a 50/50 split). One transfer settles everything — no more skewed gut feelings.
Can we capture expenses without a receipt too?
Yes. Manual entry is possible any time — amount, date, category, split. Useful for cash purchases without a receipt, tips, subscriptions or joint acquisitions that only ran through online banking. The main route stays the photo-receipt, because it also delivers product-level data.
What happens to our data if we split up?
On separation Bon.line shows the final balance — who still owes whom what. Each person can save their data via CSV export and keeps access to their account. The shared household account can either be archived or one person takes it over. We've deliberately considered this case in the privacy-by-design concept.