How to Split Expenses on a Group Trip Without Fighting

In February 2024, Stasia Maltseva went on a trip through Thailand and Cambodia with a group of six friends, everyone paying in cash and with no system to record expenses.The cost of street food, souvenirs, group massages and tuk-tuk rides disappeared into an untraceable pit of paper money.They assumed they’d figure out the i.o.u.s when the two-week trip ended.

But when it came time to even out the books, “no one had the slightest idea” how much each person had spent, said Ms.Maltseva, a 36-year-old content manager from Amsterdam.A huge argument unfolded, she said.

One friend was under the impression he was owed well over $200, but with no receipts and differing recollections, the friend went unpaid.“It was a battle,” Ms.Maltseva said.

“We joke about it now.”Not all friendships are as forgiving.From bachelorette trips to family vacations and bucket-list trips with friends, group travel can easily give rise to contentious situations, especially over finances.In a 2026 survey of 2,001 U.S.

adults, commissioned by PayPal, 46 percent said money disagreements created tension or “ruined the vibe” on a trip.Another survey from Zelle, the payments platform, of 1,000 U.S.

adults, found that consumers often aren’t fully repaid for group expenses.This can cause friendship-altering drama, with about a fifth of millennials saying they ended a relationship because of repayment disputes, according to the Zelle survey.Here’s what experts say about why friends get themselves into these uncomfortable situations, and how to de-escalate the drama before it turns into a full-fledged fight.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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