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Halfway allows you to split expenses based on income rather than just 50/50. To set this up:
Once set, Halfway will automatically calculate a "Fair Split" ratio (e.g., 60/40) that you can apply to shared expenses.
When you mark a transaction as Shared, Halfway calculates how much each person is responsible for.
Example: A $100 dinner split 50/50.
Since you paid $100 but only "owed" $50, your partner now owes you $50. This is added to the running "Who Owes Whom" balance.
While your household has a default split ratio (like 50/50 or income-based), not everything fits that rule. You can override the split for a specific transaction.
Use a custom split whenever the default ratio doesn't fit. For example, if you buy groceries but throw in a $50 video game just for yourself, you can split the total by exact amount so you pay for your game, and the rest is shared.
On a recurring transaction, the custom split carries over to every future occurrence.
Want to log something that's 100% yours without hiding it from your partner? Choose Custom split and drag the slider all the way to your side.
It stays shared, so you both see it and it counts in full in your household total in Reports. Nobody owes anybody anything for it. A $500 expense set this way adds $500 to the household total, and your partner owes $0.
Just me is different: it makes a transaction private. Only you see it, and it stays out of the household view.
Looking to set a default split ratio for an entire category, so it applies automatically every time? See "Setting a different split percentage for each category" below.
Your household has one overall default split (like 50/50, or based on income), but not every category should necessarily follow it. Halfway lets you set a separate default split ratio for individual categories, so it's applied automatically every time, no need to adjust it transaction by transaction.
Every Rent transaction now automatically splits 60/40, and every Groceries transaction stays 50/50, without you touching anything at the transaction level.
Your Settlement Report shows both your Household Split (the overall default) and your Effective Split (the real, blended split once all your category overrides are factored in) - so you can see at a glance how these per-category adjustments add up over a whole month.
Looking to override the split for just one specific transaction instead of a whole category? See "Setting a custom split ratio" above.
The "Who Owes Whom" number on your dashboard is a net total of all shared expenses that haven't been settled yet.
We sum up everything you paid for the household vs. everything your partner paid. The difference is the balance. This simplifies things so you don't have to pay each other back for every single coffee.
When you pay your partner back (via Venmo, Zelle, cash, etc.), you need to tell Halfway so the balance resets:
This will create a settlement transaction and reduce the "Who Owes Whom" balance.
The settlement report is the full picture behind the balance on your dashboard. It reads top to bottom in the order most couples ask the questions:
It compares what you paid with what you owed. A gap here isn't unfairness. It usually just means one of you fronted more this period, which is exactly what the balance is for. Settling up closes it.
If you want to change how much each person owes in the first place, that's your split ratio rather than this report. See Setting a custom split ratio.
If you see this line, something from before your last settle up changed after you'd settled it, such as a corrected amount or a transaction reclassified as shared. It carries forward so your balance stays accurate.
Refunds automatically impact the "Who Owes Whom" balance when marked as Shared. They work just like regular expenses in Halfway, but in reverse.
If Partner A pays $1,000 for a shared expense (50/50 split), Partner B owes $500. If a $200 refund later comes in and is marked Shared (50/50):
Partial refunds work the same way. Simply ensure the transaction reflects the partial amount returned, and split it accordingly.
Money arriving on a card as a Rewards Statement Credit or Cash Back Redemption is not a refund. Nothing was returned, so there is no original purchase for it to reverse. Halfway treats these differently and lets you decide how to count them.
Open the transaction and the category picker shows a group at the top, "Card rewards: count it as income?". Choosing one of those both sets the category and stops the transaction being counted as a refund. Expense categories are still available in the same list if you would rather reduce your spending instead.
Sharing rewards is a separate decision. If you share the card and want the rewards split with your partner, mark the transaction Shared. That works whether you counted it as income or as reduced spending. Either way your partner gets their half, and you do not have to call it income in order to split it.
If you want this handled automatically every time, create a Rule under Settings > Automations > Rules matching the description.
Key Advice: For consistency, always try to match the same split ratio on the refund as you used on the original purchase.
When partners earn different incomes, splitting rent 50/50 can feel unfair. The partner earning less ends up spending a larger percentage of their income on housing. Here is how to split rent proportionally using Halfway.
If Partner A earns $5,000 per month and Partner B earns $3,000 per month, the combined income is $8,000. Partner A earns 62.5% and Partner B earns 37.5%. For a $2,000 rent payment:
Both partners spend the same percentage of their income on rent (25%), which feels fair.
If you want to calculate a fair rent split before signing up, try the free Rent and Mortgage Split Calculator. It works for both renters and homeowners.
