Split holiday costs with friends, from the deposit to the last dinner
Group holidays get booked months ahead, and one person usually ends up paying the villa deposit on their own card. Tabby gives the whole group one shared tab from a private link, so every cost is written down from day one and settling up at the end takes a few minutes. No app and no signup.
Agree these before anyone books
- Who's paying the deposit, and when everyone pays them back. Put it on the tab the day it's paid.
- What's shared: usually the villa or cottage, the big food shop, car hire and fuel.
- What isn't: meals out, souvenirs and anything only one person wanted.
- Whether drinks go to everyone or just the drinkers. Easy either way, but decide first.
- One currency for settling up. Most UK groups pick pounds, even when the holiday is abroad.
Deposits and balances, without one person being the bank
Open the tab when you book
Add the deposit straight away with the date it was paid. Everyone can see what they owe months before you go.
Add the balance when it's due
Villas and cottages often take the rest a few weeks before arrival. Add it as a second expense, so both payments are on the tab.
Pay back early if you like
Anyone can square up with the person who booked before the holiday and mark it settled, so the lead booker isn't out of pocket all summer.
Couples, families and people who come for half the week
Couples as one name
If a couple would rather settle as a pair, one of them joins as "Sam & Priya" and you add what they paid together. Remember they then count as one share, so add each person separately if you're splitting per head.
Late arrivals
Someone flying out on Wednesday? Only add them to the costs from when they arrive. Costs split between everyone include them automatically.
Non-drinkers and early nights
Choose who each expense is for. The wine order only goes to the people who drank it.
How it works
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1
Create a tab
Name it after the holiday, like "Algarve villa June", and pick £ or €. You get a private link straight away.
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2
Share it in the group chat
Everyone opens the link in their browser and picks their name. Nobody needs an account.
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3
Add costs from the deposit onwards
Whoever pays adds it and chooses who it's for. Everyone sees the same running total.
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4
Settle up when you're home
Tabby shows who owes who and the simplest way to pay each other back. Send a bank transfer and mark it settled.
What most groups split, and how
These are common choices, not rules. Agree yours before you go.
| Usually split | How on Tabby | |
|---|---|---|
| Villa, cottage or apartment | Between everyone | One expense for the deposit, one for the balance |
| Flights and trains | Often paid individually | Only add them if one person booked for others |
| Car hire and fuel | Between whoever's in the car | Choose those people |
| Big food shop | Between everyone | Split between everyone |
| Drinks | Between the drinkers | Choose the drinkers |
| Meals out | Pay your own, or split the bill | Add the bill and choose who ate |
More ways to use Tabby
Questions
How do you split holiday costs fairly? +
Agree what's shared before you book, add every shared cost to one tab as it's paid, and split each one between only the people it was for. Settle up once when you're home.
Who should pay the villa deposit? +
Usually whoever books. Put the deposit on the tab the same day so everyone can see their share and pay it back whenever suits them.
We're going abroad. Should the tab be in pounds or euros? +
Each tab uses one currency. Most UK groups pick pounds so the amounts match what you pay each other back. If you'd rather keep everything in euros, open the tab in euros.
Can a couple pay as one? +
Yes. One of you joins under both names, for example "Sam & Priya", and you count as one share. Join separately if the group is splitting per head.
Does everyone need to download an app? +
No. Tabby runs in the browser, so anyone with the link can open it on their phone or laptop.
Is it free? +
Yes. There's no paid plan, no per-person fee, no ads and no account.