Frequently Asked Questions about Cashinator

Don’t worry — the result is correct. Cashinator finds a mathematically optimal way to settle all debts with as few transactions as possible. If you calculate by hand, you may get a different — but still valid — solution.

See a simple example of how the algorithm works in our case study on debt calculation.

Cashinator is registration-free and not linked to your Apple ID, so the app can’t know which devices are yours. To use a journey on another device (e.g., iPad), simply join the journey there.

Benefit: your data stay private on Cashinator’s servers, and different family members can use different journeys/groups on their own devices.

The most common mistake is recording cash withdrawals as expenses and then counting the same money again when you spend it. Don’t log ATM withdrawals as expenses — use the Money transfer type instead. Cashinator will suggest this automatically when it detects a suspicious entry.

Absolutely. Cashinator works great for shared flats, couples or clubs. You can switch the app between Journey and Group mode so wording and features fit your use case.

By default, Cashinator follows your phone’s system language. You can switch to English or German anytime in the app settings.

For security, the journey QR/code expires after a few days. Ask your friend to share the journey again and use the new code.

Joining/sharing requires an active internet connection; data are transferred securely via mobile network or Wi-Fi.

Each device can set its own home currency. Your balance is shown in your currency. Change your home currency to match your friends if you want the same view.

Yes. Open Settings → Journey/Group list, then swipe right-to-left on the item and confirm Delete. You can only delete items that aren’t currently active.

Using VoiceOver/TalkBack, swipe left-to-right to reveal hidden options like Delete or Archive and confirm with a double-tap.

Deletions affect only your device. If the journey/group was shared, it remains on other devices. If you deleted by accident, ask a participant to generate a new access code.

Yes. Go to Settings → Participants, swipe right-to-left on a person and delete. You can only remove participants who aren’t part of any transaction. If necessary, delete their transactions first.

With VoiceOver/TalkBack, swipe left-to-right to show hidden options and confirm with a double-tap.

That’s the classic lost cent problem. If three people split €1, each gets €0.33 instead of the exact €0.333… — one cent remains because currencies have indivisible smallest units. Think of it as a lucky penny!

Cashinator is ad-free and doesn’t collect personal data. Your first journey is free; afterwards there’s a small one-time fee per journey or an unlimited package (no subscription).

Check out all packages & prices here.

Cashinator works without registration — no emails, usernames or passwords. Only the necessary journey data are synced securely. Journeys, people and transactions are referenced by random keys, not your identity.

For joining, a temporary code/QR is used and expires after a few days for security.

Read the full details in our Privacy Policy.

Enable the “Ask for category” option in Settings. When adding an expense, choose a category (e.g., Transport, Accommodation, Groceries). You can also edit categories later from the expense list.

You’ll see exactly where your money went. Statistics show totals by category (e.g., Accommodation, Shopping, Car incl. fuel), giving you a clear breakdown at the end of the journey.

Yes. Add custom categories (with icons) in Settings. You can rename your custom categories; default categories can be deleted but not edited.

One way is to create categories for your payment methods (e.g., Cash, Debit Card, Credit Card) and select the relevant one for each expense. Note: only one category per expense — decide whether you want categories by purpose or by payment method.

Yes. In the expense list, swipe left-to-right on an entry and choose Duplicate. A new expense with the current time is created, including participants and any photos.

Open the Statistics area and export your summary as PDF or CSV — perfect for printing or sharing. See the PDF export guide here.

Sync is automatic whenever you add or edit a transaction. Other devices check for updates regularly. To refresh immediately, pull down on the main screen or the expenses tab. With push notifications enabled, changes usually appear within seconds.

Cashinator recognizes potential transfers and asks whether it’s a Money transfer or a normal expense (e.g., when there’s only one recipient). You can also switch the type later in the expense Details.

No. Use a journey as long as you like. Costs apply only when you create a new journey.

No. Your journeys and groups sync without iCloud. Join the same journey on your other device and they’ll keep each other in sync — even across Android and iOS.

Yes — free automatic backups. Your journeys and groups are backed up daily. With the backup key/Data Transfer, you can also move your data between iOS and Android.

When you open the app with internet access, exchange rates update in the background (no more than once every 12 hours). Each expense stores the rate used at the time of entry, so totals remain consistent later. If your home currency isn’t EUR, the necessary intermediate rates are stored, too. You can also set rates manually in Settings.

In rare cases where devices use different last-known rates, small display differences can occur — the stored rate per expense ensures fairness.

Yes. In the journey/group list, swipe left-to-right to archive. Data are preserved (also on the server) and you can restore or permanently delete them later — keeping your list tidy.

Mainly wording and a few context-specific features. “Journey” uses travel-specific terms (e.g., travel budget and dates). “Group” uses general wording for home use (e.g., flatshare). You can switch modes in the app.

Create a cash box in Settings. On the home screen, tap the small button next to the box name and select who deposited how much. It doesn’t matter if deposits differ — Cashinator balances everything fairly in the settlement.

Access to your photo library may be disabled. Open your phone’s Settings → Cashinator → Photos and allow access. Cashinator only reads photos you explicitly select; nothing else is uploaded. For details, see our Privacy Policy.

For group-wide refunds (e.g., deposit returns), enter the amount and tap the ± button on the keypad. The app marks it as a credit and reduces the selected participants’ totals accordingly.

Open the Statistics area and go to Settlement. If you entered journey dates, Cashinator will also prompt you to settle near the end of your journey.

Yes. Cashinator accounts for household sizes and computes optimal settlement payments so you typically need only one transfer between households.

Yes. Adding someone later doesn’t affect previous settlements, since they weren’t part of earlier expenses. To include them in past items, edit those expenses in the list.

Open the expense from the list, tap the amount, and enter the new value. The original percentage split is preserved across participants.

Printing is handled by the OS and third-party viewers. If printing fails, open the PDF in another viewer app or share it to another device and print from there.

Optional convenience: store emails to share the PDF summary later. Cashinator doesn’t send marketing or group notifications. Future integrations (e.g., payment providers) may use these emails.

Since version 5.1.3, Android requires notification permission at the system level. If you enabled notifications in Cashinator but still don’t receive them, check your Android system settings and allow notifications for Cashinator.

From version 6.3, add a Payment method in Settings (e.g., “Credit Card”) and set a percentage fee. Whenever you select that method for an expense, Cashinator automatically creates a separate fee expense and splits it proportionally to keep things fair.

Cashinator follows official currency minor units. Some currencies use three or four decimals; the Chilean peso uses none — the smallest coin is 1 CLP (centavos were discontinued in 1976).

In Settings, open Journey name and enter a new name.