For a group of friends meeting for Saturday afternoon drink, splitting the bill can sometimes be more complicated than deciding what to order.
At a bar and restaurant in their neighbourhood, the familiar routine is the crew sends their share of the money to one person who then settles the bill. This often means making several mobile money transfers, which attract transaction charges.
But a new digital payment feature is changing how groups can settle shared expenses.
Absa Next, the digital finance platform from Absa Bank Kenya, allows a group to split a bill amongst themselves, making it possible for each person to contribute towards a shared payment rather than relying on one individual to collect everyone’s money.
For small businesses such as a bar, this feature makes transactions simpler while giving customers more flexibility over how they pay.
Consider a typical Friday evening or Saturday afternoon in an urban centre. Friends meet for a few drinks, order several items and decide to share the cost. Instead of sending money to one person who then pays the entire bill, the group can use the bill-splitting feature to divide the expense among themselves.
The change may appear small, but for customers who regularly share meals, drinks, transport costs or other expenses, it can remove an unnecessary step from everyday payments.
It also addresses a common frustration: one person having to act as the group’s informal cashier.
With Absa Next, customers can share expenses with friends and family through the platform, allowing the payment process to be handled digitally.
“So whether you want to be able to pay your bills, whether you want to pay to Pochi, pay to a Till number, pay a next merchant, you should be able to do it within Absa Next,” said Absa Bank Kenya Head of Digital Banking Steve Omamo.
The platform is available to both Absa Bank customers and non-customers, meaning groups do not necessarily need to bank with the same institution to access the wider digital finance ecosystem.
For small businesses, the feature can also make it easier to serve customers who prefer digital payments, particularly as consumers increasingly expect transactions to be fast and convenient.
This illustrates how digital banking is moving beyond traditional functions such as deposits, withdrawals and transfers to address everyday situations in which people manage money together.
This shift is informed by consumer expectations, as customers are increasingly keen on financial tools that fit naturally into their daily lives rather than requiring them to adapt their routines around banking.