A $200 Target run that's half groceries and half household supplies. A $400 Costco visit that's groceries, gas, and a TV. A dinner where you covered the bill and your friend Venmo'd you back later. These are all single transactions that should live in multiple budget categories. Rocket Money's Split Transaction feature handles this — and it's free for all users, though only available on the mobile app.
This guide walks through the three split methods (specific amounts, percentages, equal amounts), how to remove a split if you change your mind, and when splitting is the right tool versus alternatives like tags or rules.
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Verified workflow (from Rocket Money Help Center)
- Open the Rocket Money mobile app.
- Tap the transaction you want to split.
- Select Split.
- Tap each split's category icon (left of the split title) to assign a category.
- Adjust amounts for each split as needed.
- Tap Save.
- To remove a split: tap any split transaction and select Remove (this restores the original transaction).
Mobile app only — not available on Rocketmoney.com.
What's in this guide
- How to split a transaction (mobile only)
- Three split methods explained
- Removing a split
- When to split vs use tags or rules
- Common scenarios where splitting is the right move
- How this compares to YNAB and Monarch
- FAQ
How to split a transaction (mobile only)
Per Rocket Money's Help Center: "Splitting transactions is available exclusively on our mobile app — this feature is not available to complete the above instructions on our website, Rocketmoney.com."
The mobile flow:
- Tap the transaction you'd like to split (from the Transactions tab).
- Select Split.
- Choose how you'd like to split the transaction:
- By specific amounts — you enter exact dollar values for each portion.
- By percentages — you enter percentage values that add to 100%.
- By equal amounts — Rocket Money divides the transaction evenly across the splits.
- Tap Add Split to add another portion.
- Tap the category icon on the left of each split title to change which category each portion goes into.
- Optionally add a note to each split (e.g., "groceries portion" / "TV").
- Optionally mark a split as ignored (useful if part of the transaction should be excluded from budget calcs).
- Tap Save.
Once saved, the Transactions tab shows the original transaction broken into the splits, each appearing as its own line item that contributes to its assigned category.
Three split methods explained
Each method has its sweet spot:
By specific amounts. You type the exact dollar amount of each portion. Best when you have the receipt and know the breakdown precisely. The most accurate method.
By percentages. You type percentage values that add to 100%. Best for situations where you don't know the exact figures but have a confident estimate (e.g., "this Target trip was about 70% groceries and 30% household").
By equal amounts. Rocket Money divides the transaction evenly. Best for splitting a meal evenly across a few people, or splitting a shared expense evenly across two categories.
You can mix splits within a single transaction — e.g., one split for $50 specifically and another that's the remainder — by combining amounts and equal-split portions. The Save button only enables when the splits sum to exactly the original transaction amount.
Removing a split
Per the Help Center: "If you'd like to remove a split, you can tap on any of the split transactions and select Remove. This will restore the original transaction information."
Important caveat: "you'll lose any notes or categorization that the split transactions had."
Steps:
- Tap any of the split transactions in your Transactions tab.
- Select Remove.
- The original (unsplit) transaction is restored. Notes and categorizations from the splits are deleted.
Like splitting, removal is mobile-only. Plan accordingly if you're on desktop and want to undo a split.
When to split vs use tags or rules
Three different tools that overlap at the edges:
Splits. When the same transaction belongs in multiple categories simultaneously and you want each portion to count separately in budget calculations.
Tags. When you want to label a transaction (or several) for grouping and reporting purposes — without changing its category. Tags don't affect budget math; they're a flexible labeling layer. See How to Create and Apply Tags for Transactions.
Rules. When the same transformation should apply to all future transactions matching a pattern (e.g., always categorize Trader Joe's as Groceries). See How to Create Transaction Rules in Rocket Money.
Quick decision tree:
- Single transaction, one category, applies to all future transactions from this merchant → Rule.
- Single transaction, multiple categories → Split.
- Single transaction, you want to flag it but not change category → Tag.
Splits and tags can coexist on the same transaction. Splits and rules don't really overlap (you can't make a rule that auto-splits — splitting is always manual).
Common scenarios where splitting is the right move
A few patterns where splits are clearly the right tool:
The Target / Costco / Walmart combo trip. You bought groceries, household supplies, a small electronic, and clothing all in one transaction. Split: 4 portions, each in the right category.
Restaurant where you covered for friends. Total bill $200; your share $50; Venmo back from each friend $50. Two valid approaches: (a) split the original transaction into your portion ($50) + ignored portions for the parts that get reimbursed, or (b) leave the original and treat each Venmo back as a Reimbursement. The split approach is cleaner if all reimbursements happen quickly; the reimbursement approach is cleaner if reimbursements lag.
Costco run with a major appliance. $1200 total: $300 groceries, $900 appliance. Splitting puts $300 in Groceries (where it belongs) and $900 in Home Goods (or wherever you track major purchases) without inflating either.
Tax-deductible portion of a mixed expense. You took a client to lunch for $100; $40 of it was their share, $60 was yours. The $60 portion is potentially tax-deductible (business meal); $40 is your personal Restaurants. Split the transaction; mark the $60 as Tax-Deductible. See expense tracking.
Subscription bundles. A single $40/month charge that bundles multiple services. Split into the per-service portions if you want to track each subscription separately.
Travel transactions. A $500 hotel charge that's part business, part personal. Split between Business Expense (or Tax-Deductible) and Travel.
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How this compares to YNAB and Monarch
Splitting transactions is one of those features that exists in every serious budgeting app, but the implementations vary in flexibility:
Rocket Money. Three split methods, mobile-only, free. Clean UX, fast in practice. Limited to the methods listed — no advanced rules or auto-split for recurring patterns.
YNAB. Splits are first-class. Available on web and mobile. Supports complex splits including assigning each split to different categories and even different memos. Splits work across all platforms.
Empower. Limited splitting — investment-account focus means transaction-level splits are less common in Empower's typical use cases.
Monarch. Splits with desktop and mobile parity, plus the ability to save common split patterns. Strongest when you frequently split similar transactions (a regular "groceries + household" Target run).
If splitting is something you do often, YNAB and Monarch are stronger because of platform parity (desktop included). If it's an occasional cleanup task, Rocket Money's mobile-only flow is fine.
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FAQ
Can I split a transaction on the desktop website? No. Splitting is mobile-only. The Help Center is explicit: "this feature is not available to complete the above instructions on our website, Rocketmoney.com."
Will splitting a transaction affect my linked bank account? No — splits are a Rocket Money-side accounting structure only. Your bank still sees one transaction; Rocket Money just internally tracks it as multiple line items.
Can I split a transaction across more than two categories? Yes. Add as many splits as you need with Add Split. The total has to sum to the transaction amount.
Can I split a transaction across two accounts? No — splitting is across categories, not across accounts. The original transaction stays on the account where it was charged; the splits just assign portions to different budget categories.
What happens to a split transaction if I disconnect the bank? Per the unlink documentation, all transaction edits (including splits) are deleted when you unlink the institution. See How to Disconnect a Bank Account or Credit Card From Rocket Money.
Can I make a split where one portion is ignored? Yes. When setting up the split, you can mark any portion as ignored. Useful for, e.g., a meal where part is your friend's reimbursable share — flag that portion as ignored so it doesn't count in your budget.
Will the split transactions appear in the original merchant's history? Yes, but as the individual splits with their assigned categories. Searching the original merchant name will surface all the splits.
Can I save a common split pattern? No — Rocket Money doesn't support saved split templates. Each split is set up manually.
Related reading:
- How to Edit & Create Transaction Categories in Rocket Money
- How to Create Transaction Rules in Rocket Money
- How to Create and Apply Tags for Transactions
- Working with Reimbursements & Shared Bills in Rocket Money
- How to Search Transactions in Rocket Money
- Transaction Category Review in Rocket Money
Not financial, legal, or tax advice. We earn a commission if you sign up for Rocket Money through a link on this page; the price is the same. Every claim is verified against Rocket Money's official Help Center documentation and the December 12, 2025 Content Affiliate Talking Points where applicable.