How to split fuel costs between passengers fairly

The simplest rule: work out the fuel cost of the whole trip and divide it by everyone in the car, including the driver. On the Wrocław – Berlin drive (344 km), a petrol car using 7 l/100 km burns about €49.77 worth of fuel. With four people that's €12.44 each, one way.

Three ways to split

1. Equally, including the driver

Everyone, the driver included, pays the same. This is the most common rule among friends and on shared holidays – the driver is going there too, so they chip in like everyone else.

2. Equally, without the driver

The passengers split the cost between them and the driver pays nothing for fuel. This is fair when someone is giving others a lift on a trip they'd make anyway, or in return for driving, providing the car and covering its running costs (insurance, tyre and brake wear, servicing). On Wrocław – Berlin with three passengers, each pays €16.59.

3. By distance

When passengers get out along the way, each pays for their own stretch. The cost of every kilometre is shared by whoever is in the car at the time. Example: someone rides from Warsaw only as far as Łódź (136 km) while the others carry on – everyone pays for the first leg, and only those going all the way pay for the rest.

What else to add

• Tolls and vignettes – best split the same way as fuel.
• Parking at the destination, if the car is there for everyone.
• The way back, if the driver returns empty after taking someone one way.

Mileage rates instead of fuel

If you want to cover wear on the car as well as fuel, you can settle up using a mileage rate. In the UK, the approved rate for business journeys in your own car is 45p a mile for the first 10,000 miles; Poland uses 0.89–1.15 zł/km depending on engine size. These rates come out well above the fuel cost alone, which is why friends usually split just fuel and tolls.

How to do it in the calculator

In the Tankful calculator, set the number of people in the car – next to the cost of the whole trip you'll see the amount per person, for a return trip too. Use “Copy link to this result” to send it to the rest of the group; they'll see the same route and amount.