London - An end to asking “Why am I paying for your steak?” Somehow, it's never easy. Even if there's an even number of you. Even if everyone has the same meal.
And the same drinks. Even the tip can make things complicated. Yep, dining out in large groups is great fun until the dreaded moment when it's time to work out who owes what. Especially if one person isn't drinking alcohol while Dave at the end of the table is on his tenth Jägerbomb (or glass of Chablis, depending on the kind of places you frequent).
Ditto someone ordering the scallop starter and the fillet steak while someone else has a garden salad... And then there's someone who's paying for two people on a card and the other person paying cash for themselves.
The whole thing is a minefield - especially when it's being navigated by an innumerate armed with only a ballpoint pen and four beers in their stomach.
Well done, then, to developer Stephen Poletto and the other two members of the team behind Billr. The app - which works for up to 16 people and costs 69p - will work out who owes what, and how much of the tip they should contribute. Et voilà!
The idea isn't completely new; there are other iPhone apps available - such as the rather maladroit-sounding Tip & Bill Split App, or Android's well-regarded version called Split the Bill. What makes Billr great - despite the trite mssng-vwl-style name - is its retro look from industrial-design student Ivy Hu, which manages to make wrangling over who owes precisely what for their prawn wonton soup look almost cool. billr.me
- The Independent