Venmo’s receipt scanner handled a three-person lunch bill

The feature, rolling out to Venmo users this week, lets customers photograph or upload a receipt, assign items to diners and send payment requests. Venmo’s survey of 5,000 US residents aged 18 to 22 found differing preferences for splitting meals: 20% favored paying for exactly what they ordered, 15% preferred an even split and 12% said they take turns or have different people cover different costs.

The tester used a receipt from lunch with two colleagues at Blue Park Kitchen, a fast-casual restaurant in downtown New York City. Venmo accurately transcribed the receipt totals. The tester said Tab, an app they had used for years, sometimes mistakes a date or check number for the amount paid; that error did not occur in Venmo. Tab did not respond to a request for comment.

After confirming the totals, the tester assigned the dishes. One colleague ordered extra protein, giving him a higher subtotal than the tester and the other colleague. Venmo calculated each person’s proportional share of tax and tip. The same receipt entered in Splitwise produced identical totals, but that app did not offer the same in-app payment-request step.

The tester said Venmo’s main advantage was combining the calculation and repayment request in one app. The tool may ease disagreements over shares, but it cannot ensure friends see or answer requests promptly: one colleague paid immediately, while the other did so only after being asked verbally.