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Split transactions

One transaction, two or more categories. When and how.

A split transaction divides one row's amount across multiple categories. Use it whenever a single charge covers things that belong in different envelopes.

A typical case

You drop $84 at Target. The receipt breaks down as:

  • $52 groceries
  • $24 household supplies
  • $8 a birthday card

If you enter that as a single $84 charge to Groceries, your spending report misattributes $32 and your Household supplies envelope never knows it was tapped.

The split version:

  1. Enter the transaction normally for $84.
  2. Click Split on the row.
  3. Add three split lines: Groceries -$52, Household supplies -$24, Gifts -$8.
  4. The split total updates the parent. Save.

The transaction now shows Multiple as its category. Expanding the row reveals the breakdown.

What the data looks like

Internally, a split parent stores the total amount and a splits array. Each split entry has a category, an amount, and an optional memo. Reports walk the splits, not the parent — Spending by category attributes $52 to Groceries, $24 to Household, $8 to Gifts.

The parent's categoryId is null. Filtering the register by category shows the split parent if any child matches; clicking the parent reveals which line matched.

Editing splits

Click Edit on the parent. The split rows become editable. You can:

  • Change a split's category, amount, or memo.
  • Add a new split line.
  • Delete a split (the parent total must still equal the sum of remaining splits).
  • Convert back to single — remove all but one split. The transaction becomes a regular single-category row.

Splits with transfers

A split line can be a transfer. Useful for "I paid $100 on the card and also moved $50 from checking to savings" as one entry — though most people find this confusing and split such cases into two separate transactions.

A split with a transfer line creates the paired entry on the other account when saved.

Splits and credit cards

Splits behave exactly the same on credit-card accounts as on debit accounts. The Credit Card Payment category Activity rises by the full parent amount; each split's category Activity moves by its own portion. The math always balances.

Splits and import

When importing from CSV/OFX/QIF/QFX, transactions arrive un-split — the bank doesn't know your category structure. After import, find compound transactions in the register and split them by hand. There is no auto-split.

Splits and reconciliation

A reconciled split parent is fully locked — you can't edit the parent total or any child split until you unlock it. The cleared flag is at the parent level, not per-split.

When not to split

If you keep splitting the same payee into the same two categories, ask whether those should be one category instead. Gas and Convenience store snacks at the gas station might be one Gas station envelope in real life. Split where the categories matter; merge where they don't.

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