Best Travel Expense Apps for iPhone TripCoin vs Splittr vs TrailWallet ... and 3 more
Edited by Jasmin, Eng, Maria Quinney
Even with the best intentions and plans, many people eventually throw caution to the wind while traveling and spend a little (or a lot) more money than they should have. It's happened to even the most frugal among us; being on vacation makes us feel impulsive and optimistic. It's a wonderful feeling, something we should all experience at least once in our lifetime. However, there are times when finances need to be kept in check, no matter how spontaneous the foreign scenery surrounding you is making you feel.
Most people don't want the hassle of traveling around with a specific folder to keep track of spending, making sure to collect every receipt or proof of purchase from every transaction. So, why no take advantage of the many handy iPhone apps that could carry that folder and receipts for you? Additionally, as many businesses move towards a paperless existence, e-receipts are becoming a trend making apps the ideal way of tracking expenditures anyways. The 6 apps outlined below will take the burden of tracking travel expenses off of your shoulders; the only thing you need to do is decide which one works best for you.
Method 1: TripCoin
- 1With TripCoin you can check daily expenses, adjust your budget on the go, and set daily or total trip expense goals.How it Works.
- 2Free.Pricing/Upgrades.
- 3Pros.
- Track unlimited trips, with unlimited entries per trip.
- Customizable categories and payment methods.
- View your budget progress with easy to read graphs and charts.
- Snap photos of your receipts for easy storage.
- Split certain expenses over several days.
- Export data to Excel, and reports into photo format.
- Works offline.
- Supports more than 200 different currencies, stores historical exchange rates, and has a built-in currency converter. You can also set custom exchange rates so your budget reflects the actual exchange you made.
- Integrated with Dropbox.
- 4Cons.
- No sharing options for couples, families, or anyone who wants multiple people keeping track of spending.
- 5For its wide range of features dealing with currency, TripCoin is definitely the best app for those traveling to different countries. TripCoin's price point is great too; you can't beat free when you're trying to stay on a budget! Download here.Verdict.
Method 2: Splittr
- 1When traveling with friends or a large group, use Splittr to easily divide the costs of your hotel fees, tours and excursions, dinners, and more.How it Works.
- 2One-time fee of $1.99.Pricing/Upgrades.
- 3Pros.
- Purchases can be split in any format; evenly when all parties owe an equal share, or unevenly when certain parties need to pay more or less.
- Add people to reports through your contacts list or simply by typing their name.
- Supports numerous currencies and updates recent conversion rates.
- Expenses can be split in multiple currencies in the case that people are paying with different types.
- No login or account information required.
- No Internet access needed.
- Export your reports into spreadsheet software or PDF files, so you can share the cost breakdown with your group.
- Optional iCloud backup supported.
- Easy to use interface takes the stress out of this tedious task.
- 4Cons.
- Cannot sync across platforms, so only one person can be in charge of updating the expenses.
- 5Splittr is perfect for avoiding awkward, money-related situations when traveling with groups. Though you may argue over who gets to be in charge of tracking the shared expenses, you'll never find yourself in an argument over the actual expenses. Download here.Verdict.
Method 3: TrailWallet
- 1TrailWallet helps you stay on top of your daily travel budget. If you ever get close to or go over budget, the app finds ways to reduce spending in other areas to help get you back on track.How it Works.
2
Pricing/Upgrades
. 3
Pros
.
- Track expenses on a monthly basis or by an individual trip, and track multiple trips at once.
- Interactive and detailed summary screen gives you all of your financial info at a glance. Tap the bar chart to see each day's total spending amount. Tap on your daily budget to see the totals of your Trip Budget Spent and Trip Budget Remaining.
- Current Trip page provides an easy for reading a pie chart of where your money's been spent.
- Organize spending by category.
- Add tags to amounts and other data for further clarification.
- Spread an expense (or expenses) over multiple days.
- Move amounts between different ongoing trips.
- Supports multiple currencies.
- Clean and simple interface, with a bold and eye-catching design.
- Email CSV files directly from the app.
- Integrated with Dropbox.
4
Cons
.
- No option to track income, which would be beneficial to those embarking on long-term travel.
- No option to store photos of receipts.
5
Verdict
. Method 4: XpenseTracker
- 1The XpenseTracker app helps you manage travel finances with an added focus on mileage tracking.How it Works.
- 2One-time purchase of $4.99. Many in-app purchase options such as Dropbox support.Pricing/Upgrades.
- 3Pros.
- Provides a running total of each expense log.
- Customize and sort budget and individual expenses with categories, sub-categories, date, payment type, and more.
- Add multiple photos to every expense.
- Tracks mileage in 3 different ways. Enter the total distance or a start/stop odometer reading. Input the starting location and any of your destinations. Use the GPS to track your distance. You can also input for multiple stops in one mileage entry.
- Supports major currencies and keep exchange rates up to date.
- Keeps a running list of frequently used options (payment types, categories, etc.) simplifying data entry.
- Provides PDF templates to further organize your expenses when they're ready for export.
- Scans and stores receipts via photo. Add location information to your receipts.
- Optional password protection.
- 4Cons.
- Design and interface leave much to be desired.
- Even at a low cost of $4.99 the app won't be right for everyone's budget. You have to consider the worth of those in-app purchases with key features, too.
- 5XpenseTracker combines many of the features available in other travel expense tracking apps and adds in the ability to track mileage making it perfect for those traveling by car. This app will be particularly useful to anyone borrowing a car or using a rental when mileage tracking is essential. Download here.Verdict.
Method 5: TrabeePocket
- 1TrabeePocket tracks your daily travel expenses with flair by allowing you to attach photos and notes to each trip and purchase.How it Works.
- 2Free with an option to upgrade to the Pro version for just $1.99.Pricing/Upgrades.
- 3Pros.
- Though you may prefer to categorize your purchases with notes and photos, the app still provides spending breakdowns by category in easy to read charts.
- View how much you've spent and what you have left by day or trip total.
- Offers a set amount of purchase categories.
- Supports multiple currencies.
- Classify expenses by card or cash and purchase type.
- Interface is simplistic yet intelligent; menu tabs are easy to navigate and the step-by-step tracking has a nice flow.
- 4Cons.
- Many key features such as report exporting, viewing purchases in your home currency, and customizable categories are only available in the paid Pro version.
- 5TrabeePocket is an expense tracker and mini scrapbook all in one app. It's perfect for people who want more than just graphs and charts to remember how they spent money on their trip. Think of it like a free souvenir. Download here.Verdict.
Method 6: Foreceipt Receipt Tracker
- 1Foreceipt helps manage travel expenses by specializing in receipt storage.How it Works.
- 2Free, with multiple upgrade options. Get unlimited receipts for just $4.99. Pay $1.99 for a year of unlimited receipts, or $0.99 for a month.Pricing/Upgrades.
- 3Pros.
- Scans and extracts data from receipts and automatically saves them in Google Drive.
- Create your own receipts when you've lost or forgotten one.
- Works offline; receipts will sync with Google Drive when an Internet connection is found.
- Expenses can be entered in any currency with up-to-date exchange rates.
- Create and categorize every different budget; could be multiple trips or budgets for both before and during your trip.
- Optional bill payment reminders are great for long-term travelers.
- Filter your receipts by date, tags, categories, and more.
- Export your receipts to PDF files, Google Sheets, or your spreadsheet software of choice.
- 4Cons.
- If your trip will amass more than 50 receipts during a month you'll have to pay to get more.
- The interface is a little cluttered with menus. For some these myriad features may be a bonus, but for people who just want receipt tracking it may feel overwhelming.
- 5Foreceipt can ease the stress of anyone who's going on holiday and expecting to have a large number of receipts to manage. The app could be especially useful on business or shopping trips. Download here.Verdict.
Tracking travel expenses on the go is essential to staying on budget. Before deciding which app you'll use for that task however, you should consider creating an actual travel budget. Check out this article for more info on how to save money before and while booking your trip, and the best iPhone apps to help you do so.
Questions and Answers
When was the article written? Is Trip coin still the best?
How updated is it? I am trying to find the easiest one to use that will be useful to look back at and know where I spent how much. There is no date on the article unless I have somehow missed it.
The date is at the very bottom of the article. It was written in the last 6 months and TripCoin is a good app to use. Check out some of the other app suggestions as well in this article.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
