How to share trip costs with PayMeDaba
On a trip, costs pile up day by day: one person books the car, another fills the tank, a third pays for the riad. Nobody wants to pull out a calculator at every toll booth.
The simplest way: everyone notes what they paid during the trip. Back home, add it all up, divide by the number of travellers and compare with what each person paid. Those who paid more than their share send a money request to those who paid less. Everyone pays their requests with their PIN, and you are done.
PayMeDaba does not keep a shared trip account or do that maths for you: a notebook or a note on your phone is enough. The app then moves the money instantly between PayMeDaba accounts.
Share trip costs in 5 steps
- Before you leave, set the rule. Everything split equally, or some costs kept separate (an activity not everyone joins).
- During the trip, log every expense. Who paid, how much, for what.
- Back home, add it up. Divide by the number of travellers to get each share.
- Work out balances. What each person paid minus their share: positive means they are owed, negative means they owe.
- Send the requests. People who are owed send a request to people who owe. Each pays their own.
Example: a weekend in Chefchaouen for four
Amine, Reda, Sara and Inès drive from Rabat for two nights in Chefchaouen. Here is who paid what:
| Traveller | Expense | Paid | Balance (paid minus 1,050 MAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amine | Car rental | 1,200 MAD | +150 MAD |
| Reda | Fuel and tolls | 600 MAD | -450 MAD |
| Sara | Riad, two nights | 1,600 MAD | +550 MAD |
| Inès | Dinners | 800 MAD | -250 MAD |
The total is 4,200 MAD, so 1,050 MAD each. To balance with as few transfers as possible: Sara requests 450 MAD from Reda and 100 MAD from Inès; Amine requests 150 MAD from Inès.
The 0.1% fee is paid by the sender: Reda pays 0.45 MAD on 450 MAD, Inès pays 0.10 MAD on 100 MAD and 0.15 MAD on 150 MAD. Less than 1 MAD in fees to settle a 4,200 MAD trip. Details on the pricing page.
Tips for a trip without awkwardness
- Pick a bookkeeper. One person keeps the expense list in the trip's WhatsApp group; the others add their receipts.
- Settle within 48 hours. Memories fade fast once you are home.
- Keep transfers few. People who owe pay those who are owed directly, rather than routing everything through one person.
- Settle on the go if needed. A big cost like the riad can be squared on the spot: each person sends their share by scanning the payer's QR code.
- Talk about exceptions. Whoever skips the quad ride does not pay for it: agree beforehand.
Why PayMeDaba for group trips
- No wad of cash to carry just to pay each other back.
- Anywhere, any time: at a rest stop on a Sunday night, money arrives instantly.
- Exact amounts: each request carries the precise sum and a note, and everyone keeps a record of their own payments.
- Fees capped at 0.1%: and receiving money costs nothing.
PayMeDaba will be available once Bank Al-Maghrib grants its approval. Join the waitlist before your next trip.