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Guests Without an Account

Sometimes you split bills with people who don't have a SplitHappens account — for example when dining with acquaintances or at a party. That's what the guest feature is for.

Guest in a Bill

Create a Guest

Guests are created via the participant selection screen. You can access it when creating or editing a bill or event.

  1. Open the participant selection screen (when creating/editing a bill or event)
  2. Tap the search field "Search friends or guests..."
  3. Enter the person's name
  4. Tap "Add as Guest"
  5. The guest appears as a participant with a "Guest" badge

Option 2: Via Guest Management

  1. Open the participant selection screen
  2. Scroll to the Guests section and tap "Manage Guests"
  3. Create a new guest with a name
  4. The guest is then available for selection

Guests automatically get their own avatar color so they're easily recognizable in the bill.

Manage Guests

Guests can be managed in two places:

  • In the participant selection screen — Via the "Manage Guests" link in the Guests section
  • In the Friends tab — Your guests are also displayed there and can be edited or deleted

Properties

  • Reusable: Once created, guests can be reused on additional bills and events. You don't need to create them each time.
  • Custom avatar color: Each guest has an individual color for their avatar to visually distinguish them from other participants.
  • Creator manages: As the guest's creator, you have management rights and can change the name or delete the guest.

Remove a Guest

Positions Are Preserved

When you remove a guest from a bill, all their positions are released (back to "Open") — not deleted. The released positions can then be reassigned. A confirmation dialog appears before removal.

Assign Positions

Guests work exactly like regular users for position assignment:

  • You can assign positions to guests
  • Guests can share positions with other participants (split)
  • The owed amount is calculated correctly

Note

Since guests don't have their own account, they cannot assign positions themselves. You handle the assignment for them.

Guest Takeover — Account Conversion

The guest takeover feature converts a guest into a full SplitHappens user. Here's how:

  1. Share link: Share the invitation link with the guest
  2. Create account: The guest creates their own SplitHappens account via the link
  3. Automatic transfer: All previous positions and balances are automatically transferred to the new account

Complete Transfer

During takeover, all of the guest's bills and events are transferred at once — positions, splits, and debts automatically move to the new account. The previous invitation link becomes invalid afterward.

After the takeover:

  • The guest is a regular user with all features
  • All historical bill data is preserved
  • The user can now self-assign positions and create bills

When to Use Guests?

Tip

Use guests for one-time situations — for example when someone spontaneously joins dinner. For regular shared expenses, it's worth having the person create their own account. The guest takeover makes the transition seamless.

Situation Recommendation
One-time dinner with an acquaintance Create a guest
Regular apartment expenses Own account
Friend without their phone Create guest, takeover later
Vacation group with casual guests Create a guest