Shared expenses shouldn't feel like group therapy.
We kept seeing the same awkward moment: someone opens a spreadsheet, a group chat explodes with half-remembered numbers, and trust quietly erodes. Zerowe exists so splitting costs feels natural, fast, and fair—without the emotional labor.
What goes wrong without a system
Without structure, splitting bills becomes a patchwork of screenshots, receipts stuffed in bags, and vague promises like “I'll send it later.” Memory becomes the judge. People underpay accidentally. The detail-oriented friend absorbs unpaid hours chasing numbers. That's not collaboration—it's friction disguised as logistics.
- Memory decides fairness
Relying on recall means quiet errors: missing a meal here, mis-remembering a rideshare there.
- Spreadsheet fatigue
Manual entry steals time and creates subtle formula bugs nobody notices until it's awkward.
- Lost receipts
Images sit in chats or photo rolls; line items never become actionable splits.
- Emotional debt collection
Reminding friends to pay feels personal—so delays stretch on and awkwardness grows.
Existing solutions leave gaps
We tried popular apps. Many are bloated, slow to onboard, push unclear math, or lack trust-building transparency. Some hide nuance behind auto-magic that feels like a black box. Others silo data so exporting or correcting mistakes becomes a chore. You either give up precision or give up speed—we wanted both.
- Opaque calculations
Balances shift without a clear explanation—confidence drops, audits take time.
- Slow onboarding
First-time users face clutter or required accounts before they can even add a coffee.
- Rigid split models
Edge cases—tips, taxes, partial participation—need hacks or separate entries.
- Export friction
Getting data out for accounting or archiving becomes a multi-step chore.
Design principles we obsess over
Zerowe isn't just a ledger—it's a conversation accelerant. Every interaction aims to reduce ambiguity, prevent awkward follow-ups, and create a shared understanding instantly.
- Clarity first
No hidden math—every cent traced, every adjustment explicit.
- Fast capture
Mobile-first flow: snap, parse, assign, confirm.
- Flexible splitting
Support uneven, percentage, proportional, and custom participant sets per item.
- Transparent lifecycle
From draft to settled: a clear trail anyone can revisit.
- Frictionless collaboration
Invite and involve others with minimal setup or explanation.
- Respect context
Trips, households, events—grouping helps stories stay organized.
A tool built from lived frustration
Zerowe started as a weekend script after a long trip where five people shared rides, food, lodging, and late-night impulse purchases. Rebuilding the trip finances took longer than planning the itinerary. We decided the next trip would feel different—and opened the path to build something others could use.
Make your next shared expense effortless
Start with your next coffee run or weekend getaway. You’ll feel the difference the first time you tap “Settle”.