Introduction to Expense Management

Organising a group holiday, a leaving gift for a colleague, or a weekend festival trip is exciting, but managing the money is often a headache. The “who owes who” conversation can quickly turn sour without the right tools.

While spreadsheets and mental maths are things of the past, the market is now flooded with apps claiming to solve this problem—solutions that are used by people of all ages in this day and age. Three names often come up: Tikkie, Splitser, and Potje.

These apps make it easier to divide expenses among group members, ensuring everyone pays their fair share. But are they all the same? The short answer is no. While Tikkie and Splitser focus on paying people back after the money has been spent, Potje introduces a smarter way to manage group funds: collecting the money before you spend it.

Split Expenses with Ease

Splitting expenses with friends or groups doesn’t have to be complicated. Thanks to a range of handy apps and modern banking features, dividing costs is now simpler than ever. In the UK, for example, most bank apps allow customers to pay separately or transfer money directly to the person who paid, making it easy to settle up after a meal, night out, or group travel adventure. These free and instant bank transfers mean you can split costs without any extra hassle or fees.

For those who want a bit more structure, apps like Splitwise and Settle Up are popular choices for managing group expenses. These apps are perfect for group travel, festivals, or any situation where multiple people are sharing costs. Users can create a group, add expenses as they go, and let the app automatically split and track who owes what. With features like payment requests, reminders, and clear summaries, these apps make it a lot easier to keep track of shared expenses and ensure everyone pays their fair share. Tricount, for example, allows users to add expenses without requiring others to create an account, making it even more accessible for casual users. Whether you’re splitting bills with roommates, organizing a group holiday, or just sharing food costs with friends, these tools make managing group payments simple, easy, and stress-free.

Tikkie: The Quick Payment Request

Tikkie is a household name in the Netherlands, famous for its simplicity. It is primarily a payment request platform. However, newcomers to the Netherlands might be confused when they first hear about Tikkie in conversation, unsure of what it is or how it works.

How it works: If you pay for a round of drinks, you enter the amount into Tikkie, generate a link, and share it via WhatsApp. Your friends can easily respond to the payment request by clicking the link and paying you back instantly. Tikkie has built-in iDEAL payment integration for direct settlement, making it a quick and efficient option for short-term expenses.

Best for:

• One-off, spontaneous transactions.

• Settling small debts quickly.

• Occasional, short-term expenses like a weekend trip or a night out.

The Downside: Tikkie is reactive. You must have the funds available in your personal bank account to cover the cost upfront. For large expenses like booking a holiday villa, this places a heavy financial burden on the organiser, and you can run into trouble if friends are slow to pay back or forget to settle up.

Splitser: The Digital Accountant

Formerly known as WieBetaaltWat, Splitser is designed for complex mathematics. It is essentially a digital ledger that tracks expenses over time. Splitser is particularly well-suited for longer-term, recurring expenses, such as splitting bills for a shared house.

How it works: You start by creating a list or account (e.g., “House Expenses”), and members add expenses as they go, registering or logging each expense in the app. At the end of the month or trip, the app calculates the balance and tells you who needs to pay whom to settle up. Users can also view the details of each transaction or settlement for full transparency. Additionally, Splitser allows users to add expenses in different currencies on the same list, making it ideal for international trips or groups with diverse financial needs.

Best for:

• Housemates splitting bills and rent, with the ability to categorize expenses (e.g., food, rent) for better clarity.

• Couples managing shared finances.

The Downside: Like Tikkie, Splitser settles debts after the fact. It does not hold money. This means the group organiser is still constantly chasing friends to “settle the list,” often weeks after the event has finished.

The brains behind Splitser have leveraged their technical expertise to create advanced features that simplify group expense management.

Potje: The "Money Boss" Solution

Potje takes a completely different approach. Instead of chasing debts, Potje allows you to pool money together in advance. It is not just an expense tracker; it is a dedicated digital money pot.

How it works: You create a “Pot” for a specific goal—be it a Gift Pot for a wedding present or a Holiday Pot for a summer trip. You invite your friends, and everyone can easily join the pot, making it simple to get everyone involved. As the Money Boss, you can see exactly who has paid and how much is in the total pot. Potje is also ideal for tracking expenses over the course of a group outing or meal, ensuring all costs are covered and settled.

Why Potje Wins for Groups:

• No “Out of Pocket” Stress: Since everyone contributes beforehand, the organiser does not need to front thousands of pounds/euros for bookings.

• Transparency: Everyone can see the pot growing in real-time. You can also attach an image of a receipt or bill to each expense for better record-keeping and transparency.

• Gift Pots: Perfect for birthdays. You collect the funds first, then buy the gift using the pot, eliminating the risk of buying a present and never getting paid back.

• Payment Requests: Like Tikkie, Potje also supports direct payment requests for ad-hoc costs, giving you the best of both worlds.

• Users find Potje helpful for managing group expenses, as it simplifies the process and makes cost sharing straightforward.

• The expect groepie feature is especially useful for festivals, holidays abroad, and student groups, making it easy to share expenses and settle costs among friends, roommates, or travelers.

Planning a group event? Create a Shared Pot on Potje today and secure the funds before you book.

Managing Split Costs

Keeping track of split costs in a group can quickly become confusing, especially when there are lots of expenses and members involved. That’s where Tikkie’s new feature, Groepie, comes in to make life a lot easier. With Groepie, users can create a group within the Tikkie app, add expenses as they happen, and let the app do the heavy lifting. It automatically calculates who owes what, so there’s no more confusion or awkward conversations about money.

Groepie is especially handy for group travel, festivals, holidays, or any event where costs need to be shared among friends, students, colleagues, or roommates. Users simply add expenses, and the app sends out payment requests to group members, making it easy to track payments and settle up quickly. No more chasing people down or trying to remember who paid for what—Groepie keeps everything organized and transparent. By using Tikkie’s Groepie feature, managing split costs becomes straightforward, fair, and a whole lot easier for everyone involved.

Comparison: Reactive vs. Proactive

To choose the right app, you need to decide if you want to chase money later or collect it now. Some users find it inconvenient to switch between multiple apps just to manage group expenses, preferring an all-in-one solution.

1. The “Pay Later” Model (Tikkie & Splitser)

• Pros: Good for spontaneous spending.

• Cons: High risk for the organiser; requires chasing payments; awkward “you still owe me” conversations; with Tikkie's, users often forget to send or respond to payment requests, leading to delays.

With this model, the person who pays upfront often has to wait for others to settle up, which can be inconvenient. These apps are especially useful for splitting costs after nights out, group trips, or shared accommodations. They also make it easy to split bills in restaurants, whether by dividing the total or itemizing each person's share.

2. The “Save Together” Model (Potje)

• Pros: Zero risk for the organiser; funds are guaranteed before spending; builds excitement as the pot grows.

• Cons: Requires a bit of planning (which is actually a benefit for large trips).

Conclusion and Recommendation

If you are just splitting a dinner bill on a Tuesday night, Tikkie is a fine tool. If you are living with students and need to split the electricity bill, Splitser is useful.

However, for planned group events—like holidays, festivals, stag/hen dos, and group gifts—Potje is the superior choice.

By shifting the focus from “debt collection” to “collaborative saving,” Potje removes the financial friction from your friendships. It allows you to be the Money Boss without the stress of being a debt collector.

Don’t let money ruin the vibe. Download Potje and start saving together for your next adventure.

Have you tried any of these apps, or do you have a favourite for managing group expenses? Share your experiences or tips in the comments below.

If you have any trouble using these apps or need help with group payments, let us know—we’re here to help!