The only co-parenting app where money actually moves.
Upload your receipt. Your co-parent approves. The money transfers directly to your bank via ACH. Every step documented, timestamped, permanent. No chasing. No Venmo arguments. No “I'll pay you back.”
Start Free — No Credit Card50% of divorced parents struggle to keep accurate financial records for shared child expenses. Most of them are managing it over text messages, Venmo, and a spreadsheet they started in good faith and abandoned by month three.
The problem is not a lack of intention. The problem is a lack of system.
“Most methods fail without a system. Co-parents should be particularly cautious around sensitive issues like money. But solid, structured expense tracking systems can make the process straightforward and eliminate potential miscommunication that could skyrocket into serious conflicts.”
FairSplit's expense escrow is that system. Not a tracker. Not a log. An end-to-end flow that takes a shared expense from receipt upload to bank transfer — with every step documented and every dispute handled inside the app.
From receipt to bank account — the complete flow.
Upload the receipt
Open FairSplit, tap Add Expense, and upload the receipt photo. Set the expense category, the agreed split, and an optional note. Tap Submit. The expense is now logged — receipt attached, amount set, split recorded, timestamp attached — whether your co-parent responds in five minutes or five days.
Co-parent is notified via app or SMS
If your co-parent has a FairSplit account they receive a push notification with the full expense details. If they have not joined FairSplit they receive a plain SMS link they can open in any browser — no account required, no app download. They see the receipt, the amount owed, and two buttons: Approve or Dispute.
They approve — Stripe initiates the ACH transfer
When your co-parent approves, Stripe processes the payment directly. By bank transfer (ACH) the funds move within 1-3 business days. Stripe charges 0.8% (capped at $5) to the paying parent. FairSplit charges a 5% (Free) or 2% (Pro) withdrawal fee to the receiving parent. FairSplit never touches your money — Stripe holds and settles all transfers.
Everything is documented permanently
The complete transaction record — receipt uploaded, request submitted, co-parent notified, approval given, payment processed, transfer confirmed — is permanently logged. Neither party can edit or delete any part of this record. It is included in your court-friendly PDF export.
Stripe processes and settles all transfers. Your bank details are stored by Stripe, not FairSplit. FairSplit receives no payment information beyond what Stripe confirms. Neither party can edit or delete any part of the transaction record after it is created.
Stripe initiates the ACH transfer. Funds arrive in 1-3 business days. The approval, payment, and transfer confirmation are permanently logged.
FairSplit's 3-step Dispute Resolution flow begins. Both parties upload supporting documentation. The outcome is logged and included in your court-friendly PDF. A dispute resolved inside FairSplit costs nothing beyond your Pro subscription.
A disputed expense that reaches a family court attorney costs $250–$600 per hour to pursue — typically more than the expense itself.
Every shared child expense FairSplit handles.
Shared child expenses span more categories than most parents anticipate when they first set up a co-parenting arrangement. Disputes often arise not because parents disagree about the split, but because they disagree about which expenses qualify as shared in the first place. Category assignment in FairSplit creates a record that is useful context when disputes arise.
Medical and health
Doctor visits, dental cleanings, orthodontist, prescriptions, glasses, therapy, specialist visits, emergency care. Insurance EOBs can be uploaded alongside co-pay receipts.
Education
School fees, uniforms, supplies, tutoring, test prep, field trips, extracurricular activities, sports registration, music lessons, competitive fees.
Childcare
Daycare, after-school programs, babysitters during work hours, summer camps, holiday care.
Clothing and basics
Seasonal clothing, school shoes, sports equipment, uniforms for activities.
Transportation
Travel costs for agreed activities, school transportation, custody exchange-related costs where applicable under the parenting plan.
Special and unexpected
Braces, major medical procedures, emergency expenses — the categories hardest to handle informally because the amounts are significant and disputes are most likely.
What makes this different from every other expense app.
Every co-parenting app tracks expenses. OurFamilyWizard, AppClose, TalkingParents — they all let you log a shared expense and request reimbursement.
None of them hold the funds.
The difference matters more than it sounds. When an app tracks expenses and sends a request, the money still moves through the same channel it always has — Venmo, bank transfer, cash, “I'll get you next time.” The app creates a record, but the payment is still informal. The co-parent who does not want to pay still has the same options they always had.
FairSplit's escrow changes this. When a co-parent approves an expense in FairSplit, the approval triggers a real Stripe payment — not a note in a log, not a reminder, an actual ACH transfer. The money moves because the system moves it. The co-parent who approves inside FairSplit has committed to more than agreement — they have committed to payment.
FairSplit is useful for families where informal payment systems have already failed. The tool works not because it asks nicely but because approval and payment are the same action. Approval inside FairSplit is not agreement to pay later. It is payment.
Every fee, in plain numbers.
Two separate fees apply to each expense reimbursement. They come from two different parties.
| Payment method | Stripe fee | Example: $200 expense (50/50) |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer (ACH) | 0.8% — capped at $5 | Father sends $100.80 |
| Card (credit or debit) | 2.9% + $0.30 | Father sends $103.20 |
| Plan | Withdrawal fee | Example: $100 gross received |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 5% | Mother receives $95.00 |
| Pro plan | 2% | Mother receives $98.00 |
The Pro math: Pro costs $9.99/month. The difference between 5% and 2% on $300/month of shared expenses is $9 — meaning Pro's lower withdrawal fee effectively pays for itself each month at that transaction volume.
What attorneys say about structured expense systems.
“Co-parents find ways to disagree about what should be included as a reimbursement, even when the parenting plan has explicit language detailing the responsibilities of shared expenses.”
The implication: even a perfectly written parenting plan does not prevent expense disputes. What prevents them — or at least documents them — is a structured system that both parties interact with.
FairSplit's expense escrow is that system. When both parents use it, every expense goes through the same flow regardless of their relationship quality. When only one parent uses it via Solo Mode, the record still exists — and the pattern of non-response or systematic disputing is visible over time.
The next expense you submit is the first one with a paper trail.
Free forever. No credit card. Expense escrow is available on all plans — Free and Pro.
Every expense you log from today forward is documented, timestamped, and permanent — whether your co-parent has joined FairSplit or not.
Start Free — No Credit Card RequiredQuestions? hello@fairsplit.live
Questions about expense escrow.
FairSplit's expense escrow is a complete shared expense flow: you upload a receipt and submit a reimbursement request, your co-parent approves or disputes via app or SMS link, and if approved, Stripe processes an ACH bank transfer directly to your account. Unlike expense tracking apps that log what is owed, FairSplit's escrow actually moves the money — through a Stripe payment triggered by the co-parent's approval. Every step is documented and permanently stored.
No. If your co-parent has not joined FairSplit, they receive your expense request as an SMS link. They open it in any browser — no account required, no app download. They see the receipt, the amount, and two buttons: Approve or Dispute. If they approve, they connect their payment method through Stripe's secure flow and the transfer initiates. Solo Mode makes FairSplit work even when your co-parent has not joined.
Two fees apply. The paying parent covers Stripe's processing fee: 0.8% by bank transfer (capped at $5) or 2.9% + $0.30 by card. The receiving parent pays FairSplit's withdrawal fee when they receive money: 5% on the Free plan, 2% on Pro. On a $200 expense with a 50/50 split using Pro plan and bank transfer: paying parent sends $100.80, receiving parent gets $98.00.
ACH bank transfers through Stripe typically settle within 1-3 business days. Card payments settle faster. FairSplit does not hold funds — Stripe processes and settles all transfers directly between bank accounts.
If your co-parent disputes the expense, FairSplit's 3-step Dispute Resolution flow begins — available on Pro. Both parties upload supporting documentation, and the outcome is resolved inside the app with a permanent record. On the Free plan, disputed expenses remain in pending status as documented evidence of the disagreement.
FairSplit supports: Medical and health (doctor, dental, prescriptions, therapy, specialists), Education (school fees, supplies, tutoring, field trips, activities), Childcare (daycare, after-school, summer programs), Clothing and basics, Transportation (agreed activity costs), and Other for custom categories. Category assignment creates useful context when disputes arise.
Yes, as of May 2026. Other co-parenting apps — OurFamilyWizard, AppClose, TalkingParents — track expenses and facilitate payment requests, but none hold funds in escrow pending both parties' approval. FairSplit is the only co-parenting app where the co-parent's approval inside the app directly triggers a Stripe ACH payment, not just a record that payment is agreed.
Last updated: May 2026 · fairsplit.live/features/expense-escrow