There's a new way to split expenses with Claude Artefacts — here's how

How To
By published

Let Claude handle the bill

a couple splits a bill at a restuarant
(Image credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock)

Friendship-saving financial wizardry awaits! Claude Artifacts revolutionizes group expense management with its ability to create custom applications. This powerful tool is free for everyone, offering real-time adjustments and handling complex splits with ease. 

The human-like chatbot's versatility extends beyond finance; you can make a personalized workout plan, or design various custom tools to suit your needs. For expense tracking, Claude Artifacts eliminates the need for complications or scrambling at the table, simplifying financial processes for group trips, shared households, and more. 

1. Start a new chat

Start by logging into Claude. Initiate a new chat and clearly state your intention in the prompt box: "I want to create a bill splitting app using Claude Artifacts" and hit enter. 

Claude will create a bill-splitting app that includes the bill amount, number of people, and tip percentage. 

2. Create an enhanced version

Next, ask Claude to "update the bill splitting app to include the ability to add specific expenses, track who paid, and split the bill among specific individuals."

After prompting Claude, it will generate a new bill-splitting app to a more comprehensive one. Include the relevant information where directed. 

3. Process complex splits

When you encounter uneven splits or unique situations, describe them clearly to Claude and it'll add it to your bill-splitting app.

For instance: "Add a $256 hotel stay. It's split four ways, but only Kaycee, John and Nikki are part of the ongoing expense tracking. Alex paid their share directly, 10% less than what we paid."

4. Keep inputting expenses

Keep adding new expenses to the artefact as needed, particularly for smaller expenses like parking, gas, or groceries.

You could say "New expense: $80.00 for 2.5 days of parking. Paid by John, split between Kaycee and Alex only."

5. Make real-time adjustments

Take advantage of Claude's flexibility to make any on-the-spot changes. In the prompt box, simply describe the adjustment. For example, "Subtract $10 from Nikki's balance as she bought snacks for everyone.", or "Add $5 to John's total for the coffee he purchased yesterday."

After each adjustment, ask Claude to recalculate and show updated balances.

6. Ask for updates on balances

Regularly check the current state of expenses. You can request updates from Claude in various ways, such as "Show me the current balance for each person", "What's the total spent so far, and how is it divided?", or "Give me a breakdown of expenses by category (e.g., food, transportation, accommodation)."

7. Generate a final settlement

At the end of your trip or expense period, ask Claude to calculate the final settlement. You could ask Claude: "Please provide the final settlement calculations. Show who owes what to whom for the simplest resolution."

Claude will analyze all expenses and balances, then suggest the most efficient way to settle all debts within the group.

After mastering bill splitting with Claude Artifacts, you might want to explore its other capabilities. Learn how to use Claude on your smartphone for on-the-go AI assistance. If you're looking to enhance your daily routine, check out these Claude prompts to boost your productivity. And for a bit of fun, did you know you can play games with Claude Artifacts? 

Kaycee Hill
Kaycee Hill
How-to Editor

Kaycee is Tom's Guide's How-To Editor, known for tutorials that get straight to what works. She writes across phones, homes, TVs and everything in between — because life doesn't stick to categories and neither should good advice. She's spent years in content creation doing one thing really well: making complicated things click. Kaycee is also an award-winning poet and co-editor at Fox and Star Books.