A hotel booked in US dollars and a dinner paid in Thai baht can belong to the same trip. Keep each expense in its original currency, then compare the group’s costs in one chosen summary currency.
Keep the original bill intact
When you add an expense, select the currency printed on the bill and enter the amount paid in that currency. This gives the group a record they can compare with the receipt. Do not label a converted amount as though it were the original charge.
A card statement can differ from the merchant’s bill because of conversion timing, bank fees or a card issuer’s exchange rate. Decide together whether you will split the merchant’s original amount or include a clearly described additional cost. Recording both the converted card charge and the original bill as full expenses would count the same purchase twice.
Choose the summary currency and date
TripPocket’s summary converts expenses to the currency you choose. Check its conversion date and any rate references before treating the result as final. The date matters: two different conversion dates can produce different balances even when nobody has edited the bills.
Automatic rates must cover the currencies needed for the summary. If a rate is missing or temporarily unavailable, the summary can require a manual rate from a trip administrator. Check the direction of the rate carefully. “1 USD = 35 THB” and “1 THB = 35 USD” describe very different calculations.
A worked conversion
Arun pays USD 180 for a hotel shared by Arun, Mina and Jo. Mina pays THB 2,100 for their shared dinner. They choose Thai baht for the summary. For this example only, assume 1 USD = 35 THB. This is an illustrative rate, not a current exchange-rate quote.
| Expense | Original amount | In THB |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel, paid by Arun | USD 180 | 180 × 35 = 6,300 |
| Dinner, paid by Mina | THB 2,100 | 2,100 |
| Total | Two currencies | THB 8,400 |
All three share both purchases equally, so each person’s cost is THB 2,800. Arun has paid the equivalent of THB 6,300 and should get back THB 3,500. Mina has paid THB 2,100 and owes THB 700. Jo has not paid a merchant and owes THB 2,800.
Mina pays Arun THB 700.
Jo pays Arun THB 2,800.
If they actually repay in another currency, they should agree the rate and any transfer fee separately. A calculated balance does not guarantee the amount a bank or payment service will charge.
Understand rounding
Currencies do not all use the same number of decimal places. Small rounding differences can appear when several converted amounts are split among several travelers. Review the saved totals and final repayment amounts instead of repeatedly converting rounded values by hand.
A live preview can help you understand a proposed currency or rate, but a preview is not the same as a saved change. Check the final saved summary before telling everyone what to repay. If you are comparing two screenshots, first check whether both use the same currency, date and set of expenses.
A checklist for the last day
- Confirm the original amount and currency of every bill.
- Agree on one summary currency and conversion date.
- Resolve missing rates and review any manual entries.
- Check who shares each expense, including personal purchases.
- Agree how actual repayments and transfer fees will be handled.
To understand the difference between the amount paid and the amount owed, see the shared-cost example. For help recording a receipt or inviting another traveler, read Receipts and sharing.