# Venmo's receipt scanner makes splitting lunch easier

> Venmo rolled out a new feature that scans receipts and calculates who owes what. We tested it against Tab and Splitwise to see if it actually works.
- Title: Venmo's receipt scanner makes splitting lunch easier
- Summary: Venmo rolled out a new feature that scans receipts and calculates who owes what. We tested it against Tab and Splitwise to see if it actually works.
- Keywords: venmo, receipt scanning, bill splitting, gen z, tab app, splitwise, payment apps, Business Insider
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/venmo-new-receipt-scanning-feature-does-it-work-2026-11
- Author: Amanda Yen
- Published: 2026-11-10T19:22:49.791+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: venmo, receipt scanning, bill splitting, gen z, tab app, splitwise, payment apps, business, technology
## Venmo adds receipt scanning this week
Venmo's new feature lets users snap or upload a receipt photo. The app itemizes it and calculates proportionate tax and tip before sending payment requests.
## Gen Z struggles with splitting bills
Venmo surveyed five thousand eighteen to twenty-two year olds in the US. Twenty percent prefer everyone pay exactly what they ordered, fifteen percent want to divide evenly, twelve percent take turns.
## We tested Venmo against rivals
Amanda Yen and two Business Insider colleagues tested Venmo's receipt scanner on Monday at Blue Park Kitchen in downtown New York City, comparing it to Tab and Splitwise.
## Venmo read the receipt accurately
Venmo accurately transcribed the totals from the receipt photo. Tab, a rival app, sometimes misreads the date or check number as the amount paid, causing inaccurate balances.
## The app split costs by item
Dan ordered a bowl with extra protein, raising his subtotal above Grace's and Yen's seasonal specialty bowls. Venmo calculated the proportionate tax and tip each person owed.
## Venmo matched Splitwise's math
Yen loaded the same receipt into Splitwise to verify Venmo's calculations. Both apps produced identical totals, but Venmo's biggest advantage is handling everything within one app.
## The feature reduces friction but not guarantees
Venmo's receipt scanner might reduce confusion about etiquette and arguments over amounts owed. Grace repaid immediately, but Dan didn't respond until Yen asked him verbally.

> I'd rather have a neutral, third-party app like Venmo tell me what I owe in tax and tip than a friend who might be overcharging me.
## Key takeaway

Venmo's new receipt-scanning feature lets users split bills by item and calculates proportionate tax and tip, making it easier than rival apps by keeping everything in one place.