Split transactions

Maintained by Jason Ewing, founder of Tovari · Published Oct 20, 2026 · How we write these docs

What is a split transaction?

A split spreads one transaction across several categories. A $214.87 Costco trip can count as $142.10 of Groceries, $48.27 of Household and $24.50 of Health, so each budget category shows what you really spent. Each line has an amount, a category and an optional note of up to 200 characters. The date, payee, account and status stay the same for every line.

The register still shows one row at the full amount, and your balances do not change. The category reads Split (3). Budget, Reports, Safe to Spend and the spreadsheet export count each line in its own category.

How do I split a transaction?

On a PC or Mac: open the transaction’s category and choose Split Transaction at the bottom of the list. A pending transaction can’t be split from the register on a PC or Mac until it posts.
On a phone browser or in the mobile app: tap the transaction, then Split under Category. A refund (money in) can be split too.

The editor starts with two lines: the current category at the full amount, and an empty line. Type each amount without a sign; the transaction’s sign is shown for you. Remaining must reach $0.00 and every line needs a category before Save Split turns on. Assign remaining adds what is left to the line you are on. A split has 2 to 20 lines.

Can I split evenly or by percentage?

Yes. In the editor:

Split evenly divides the full amount across the lines you have. It keeps each line’s category and note. Any leftover cent goes to the last line, so $100.00 over 3 lines is $33.33, $33.33 and $33.34. It won’t make a $0.00 line, so a few cents can’t always be divided.
Percentages lets you type a percent for each line instead of an amount, and shows the amount each percent comes to. The percents must total 100% before you can save. Tovari still saves the amounts, not the percents.

Both are turned off while a split has a line for a bank difference. Resolve that line first.

To look at the lines later, click Split (3) on a PC or Mac to expand them under the row (a pending row opens the editor instead). On a phone, tap the row: the lines are listed under Category, with Edit split.

What if the bank amount changes?

If your bank posts a split transaction at a different amount, Tovari keeps your lines and adds one Uncategorized line for the difference, so the split always adds up to what the bank posted. The row shows Review. Open the split and either pick a category for that line, or use Fold Into to move its amount into another line. If the bank posted less, the added line gives money back, and Fold Into is the way to resolve it.

Finding a split by its notes

Searching your transactions also matches the notes on split lines. A split with a line noted “birthday gift for Sam” shows up when you search for “sam”.

The “Split this?” suggestion

Some stores, like Costco, Amazon, Target, Walmart and Sam’s Club, often sell things from several categories. On a purchase from one of them that isn’t split yet, Tovari asks Split this?: in the category on a PC or Mac, and under Category when you open it on a phone. Open it to split, or dismiss it. Either way it won’t ask again for that store. Each person in a household sees it separately.

Keyboard shortcuts on a PC or Mac

In the split editor:

Enter in the last line’s amount starts another line, up to 20.
Cmd+Enter (Mac) or Ctrl+Enter (PC) saves the split. If it isn’t balanced yet, nothing is saved and what’s left is read out.
Esc cancels.

Going back to one category

Open the split and choose Remove Split. Tovari suggests the category of your largest line, and you can change it. The lines and their notes are removed; the transaction’s own note stays.

What can’t be split?

Transfers between your accounts. Unlink the transfer first (on a PC or Mac, or a phone browser).
Matching: a split transaction can’t be matched with another one. Remove the split first.
Bulk categorize skips split transactions and tells you how many it skipped.