FAQs and Feedback - Why does the app ask me to repay something to someone who has never paid anything for me?

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Why does the app ask me to repay something to someone who has never paid anything for me?

Category: Expenses and reimbursements

    Tricount offers reimbursement solutions that settle balances as easily as possible.
    It’s not unusual for Tricount to ask you to pay back someone who has never paid anything for you. To understand why, let’s review how Tricount works.

    Tricount handles reimbursements in two steps:

  • Based on expenses, Tricount calculates each person’s balances: who paid too much and who didn't pay enough
  • Tricount then suggests a solution to split these balances evenly
  • The solution Tricount offers is optimal in the sense that it limits the number of transactions to the bare minimum.

    The example here below illustrates Tricount’s principle.

    Example:

    Imagine a tricount with three people: A, B and C.

  • A has paid an expense of $20 for B
  • B has paid an expense of $30 EUR for A, B and C (three identical amounts)
  • We see that A has not paid C for anything.

    As explained here above, Tricount will first calculate each person’s balance:

  • A: +20 - 10 = +10
  • B: -20 + 30 - 10 = 0
  • C: -10
  • Tricount will then figure out how to split the balances.
    Since B is already sorted, C just needs to pay $10 to A, which is what Tricount suggests even though A has not paid C for anything.

    If the app suggests a reimbursement that seems illogical (because you don’t know yet how it works), remember that Tricount allows you to settle your accounts within a group rather than a specific person.