AKA: how I saved a friendship and my mental peace with Potje

Group payments via WhatsApp often lead to confusion and tension. Potje prevents this by making finances simple, transparent, and fair.

We all know it. A weekend away, a night out with friends, or a spontaneous pizza gathering that suddenly turned into an €80 dinner. Everyone is enjoying themselves until it comes to money. Suddenly, the group chat turns into a graveyard of receipts, screenshots, and vague promises like “I’ll Tikkie you later.” You're juggling messages, doing mental math, and wondering why no one has paid you back for that Airbnb.

The problem with WhatsApp and money matters

Splitting bills via WhatsApp seems handy… until it isn’t. You either become that annoying person who constantly reminds everyone to pay, or you secretly hope someone else brings it up. Before you know it, the atmosphere in the group becomes uncomfortable, the app goes quiet, and that one friend forgets he still owes you €17.85. Trust me, I’ve been all three of those people.

Group apps ≠ Budget tools

WhatsApp is fun for memes and last-minute plans but useless for keeping track of money. The emotional energy it takes to follow everything is enormous. You don’t want to send an “Just checking if that payment has gone through 😅”-message, but if you’ve fronted €200 for a trip, you have to. And once people start ignoring your payment requests, it becomes really uncomfortable. The trip is over, but you suddenly find yourself the accountant no one asked for.

Enter Potje: Goodbye to awkward money conversations

With Potje, you arrange everything clearly from the start. Instead of calculating afterwards, you create a pot in advance. Give it a funny name, set the amount, and send the link around. Everyone contributes, everyone sees the progress, and no one gets left behind. The app does the reminders for you—you no longer need to bother anyone personally. This way, you can see exactly who has paid, without shame or hassle.

Now we simply create a Potje for every group activity. Whether it’s “Brunch Baddies Budget” or “Don’t Go Broke in Berlin”—the tone is immediately set. It’s truly bizarre how much peace that brings. Yes, sometimes we still go over budget (we’re still human), but at least it’s fair and transparent.

Conclusion

WhatsApp is fantastic for planning fun. But for splitting bills, you need something better. Potje makes saving and sharing easy, prevents tension, and ensures you can truly enjoy yourself with your friends. No drama, no awkward conversations, no disappearing receipts in the group chat.