Group trips and holidays
Collect money for a group trip before anyone books
Pot is a shared pot for your trip. Friends chip in through one link in the group chat, small costs go through on their own, big bookings need the group's OK, and what's left comes back to everyone.
- No app to download
- Free to start, join and spend
The problem
Someone always ends up fronting the cabin
One friend books the place on their own card, then spends weeks chasing everyone for their share. Collecting the money first fixes that, as long as nobody has to hold it all and everyone can see where it goes.
| The way | Who pays up front | Who holds the money | Who decides on big spends | When the trip is over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One friend pays, then chases | One friend, on their own card | Nobody: it trickles back to them | Whoever booked | They chase whoever hasn't paid them back |
| A split app keeps score | Whoever pays for each thing | Nobody: the app tracks who owes whom | Whoever pays first | Everyone pays back what the app says they owe |
| A shared bank account in one name | Everyone, into one person's account | The person whose name it's in | The account holder | The account holder pays everyone back by hand |
| A Pot | Everyone, before anyone books | The Pot, under rules the group agreed | More than half the group | Everyone gets their share of what's left back |
A split app is a good fit when everyone pays their own way and you only need to keep track. A Pot is for when the group pays for things together.
How it works
How to collect money for a group trip with Pot
Five steps, from the first message in the chat to everyone's share back.
Step 1: Start a Pot for the trip
Name it after the trip, like Ski Weekend, and set a suggested amount each, like $300. Keep the default rules or change them.
Step 2: Share the link in the group chat
Friends open it in the browser they already use, see the Pot and its rules, and join. There's nothing to download.
Step 3: Everyone puts in their share
Each person adds their $300 before anyone books. The Pot shows who has put in, so nobody has to chase.
Step 4: Book the big things with the group's OK
Ask the Pot for the cabin money. Anything over $300 needs more than half the group: with 6 people that's 4 approvals, and yours counts as one.
Step 5: Spend on the trip, then share back what's left
Groceries and taxis up to $100 go through on their own. When you're home, the group approves closing the Pot and everyone gets back their share of what's left.
Worked example
A ski weekend for six, to the cent
Six friends each put in $300 before booking anything, under the rules every new Pot starts with. Here's every spend, who had to approve it, and what everyone got back.
| What | Amount | Left in the Pot |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone puts in $300 | + $1,800.00 | $1,800.00 |
| 6 friends, before anything is booked | ||
| The cabin, asked for by Maya | − $1,200.00 | $600.00 |
| Needs 4 of 6 approvals, and Maya's own request counts as one | ||
| Groceries, by Sam | − $84.00 | $516.00 |
| Goes through on its own: it's under the $100 instant limit | ||
| Lift‑pass top‑up, by Leo | − $250.00 | $266.00 |
| Needs one OK from another member: it's over $100, up to $300 | ||
| Person | Put in | Gets back |
|---|---|---|
| Maya | $300.00 | $44.33 |
| Sam | $300.00 | $44.33 |
| Leo | $300.00 | $44.33 |
| Priya | $300.00 | $44.33 |
| Tom | $300.00 | $44.33 |
| Ines | $300.00 | $44.35 |
| Total | $1,800.00 | $266.00 |
Rules that fit
The right rules for your trip
Every Pot starts with the same rules. You can change them when you start the Pot, or later with the group's OK.
A weekend away: keep the defaults
Anyone can spend up to $100 at a time without asking, and up to $200 each in total.
That covers groceries, fuel and taxis. One OK from another member covers up to $300, and the big bookings go to the group.
A longer trip: raise the instant limit
Anyone can spend up to $150 at a time without asking, and up to $500 each in total.
A week or two away means lots of small daily costs. A higher limit means fewer requests for the group, and with Trust grows on, people who spend well get a bigger limit as the trip goes on.
Only going if everyone's in: set a goal
Collect $1,800 by the booking date, all or nothing.
Set the goal and its date before anyone books. Spending opens once the goal is reached. If it isn't, everyone gets back exactly what they put in, automatically.
Questions
Questions about collecting money for a group trip
What's the best way to collect money for a group trip?
Collect it before anyone books, into one place the whole group can see. With Pot, friends chip in through a link in the group chat, small costs go through on their own, bigger ones need the group's OK, and what's left comes back to everyone at the end.
How much should everyone put in?
Add up the big shared costs, like the place to stay and anything you're booking together, add a cushion for food and small spends, then divide by the number of people. A Pot shows a suggested amount each, but it's only a suggestion: nobody is charged, and anything unspent comes back at the end.
Work out what each person puts in with the trip cost calculatorWhat if someone drops out?
Money in a Pot stays there until the Pot closes, so nobody can take theirs out early. When it closes, they get back their share of what's left, in proportion to what they put in. With an all-or-nothing goal that isn't reached, everyone gets back exactly what they put in.
What happens to leftover money?
When the trip is over, anyone in the Pot can ask the group to close it. Once more than half approve, everyone gets back their share of what's left, in proportion to what they put in. It goes to each person's Pot dollars, ready for their next Pot.
Is a Pot like a holiday kitty?
Yes, with rules. Everyone chips into it before the holiday, small costs can be paid from it without asking, bigger ones need the group's OK, and everyone can see every spend.
Is it free?
Yes. Starting a Pot, joining one and spending from it cost nothing: Pot covers the running costs.
Do my friends need to download an app?
No. Pot is a web app: friends open your link in the browser they already use, and can add it to their Home Screen if they like.
Start the trip's Pot before anyone books
Name it, share the link in the group chat, and let everyone put in their share. The rules do the chasing.
