Apple's iOS 27 bill-splitting feature is now live, letting Apple Cash users photograph or select a receipt, assign individual items to different people, and calculate each person's share before sending payment requests.
The feature uses Apple Intelligence to read itemized receipts and can be launched from Wallet, Messages, Camera, Photos, or a screenshot. Apple also added a separate Wallet feature that can turn physical loyalty or membership cards with barcodes or QR codes into digital passes.
Apple's current bill-splitting support page confirms that these are shipping iOS 27 features rather than beta-only previews.
The main restrictions are now clearer too. Receipt scanning requires an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad with Siri AI, while Apple Cash itself remains available only in the US.
Is iOS 27 Apple Wallet bill splitting live?
Yes.
Apple published full support documentation for the feature on Sept. 14, the same day iOS 27 became publicly available.
The final workflow is broader than the early beta reporting suggested.
Apple says you can start a bill split from:
Messages
Wallet
Camera
Photos
A screenshot containing a receipt
You can either request money from other people or pay your own share directly from a receipt.
That means a missing button on a supported device should no longer be explained away as a feature that has not exited beta.
The next things to check are Apple Cash setup, Apple Intelligence compatibility, Siri availability, device software, and region.
What you need before you can split a bill
Apple lists these requirements:
Apple Cash set up on the device
A compatible iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch running the latest software
An Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad if you want to scan a receipt
Siri AI enabled for the scanning workflow
Apple Cash availability in your region
That last requirement narrows things substantially.
Apple Cash is available only in the 50 US states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
To send and receive money with a standard Apple Cash account, Apple says you must be 18 or older and a US resident. Younger users can use Apple Cash Family where eligible, although some features can have additional restrictions.
Which iPhones support receipt scanning?
Apple now gives a clear hardware answer.
Its current Create passes in Wallet guide says Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 is available on:
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 16 models or later
Apple's broader iOS 27 compatibility list includes more iPhones than that, but running iOS 27 alone is not enough for the AI-powered receipt-scanning workflow.
The bill-splitting support page also specifies that scanning requires Siri AI on an Apple Intelligence-enabled device.
So the distinction is now simple:
Can run iOS 27: not necessarily enough.
Can use Apple Intelligence and Siri AI: required for scanning a receipt.
How to split a bill from Messages
Messages provides one of the most direct paths.
On iPhone or iPad:
Open the conversation with the person or group.
Tap the + button.
Tap Apple Cash.
Tap Split Bill.
Position the receipt in view of the camera and take a photo, or select an existing receipt image.
Tap Request.
Review the detected items and amounts.
Adjust quantities, remove incorrect items, or edit details if necessary.
Add a tip if needed.
Choose whether to split by item or evenly.
Send the request.
Apple lets you divide individual items among people as well as split the total evenly.
That is useful for shared dishes or multiple quantities of the same item.
How to split a bill from Apple Wallet
Wallet has its own path.
Open Wallet.
Tap your Apple Cash card.
Tap Send or Request.
Select one person or add several.
Tap Split Bill.
Photograph the receipt or choose an existing image.
Review the detected items.
Add a tip if needed.
Choose how to divide the bill.
Send the requests.
Apple tracks open requests inside the Apple Cash card.
Requests remain open for up to 30 days, until they are fully paid or you manually mark them complete.
Wallet also shows who has paid and how much Apple Cash has been received.
You can use Siri mode in Camera
The Camera app provides the most visual version of the workflow.
On a supported iPhone:
Open Camera.
Tap Siri at the bottom, or press and hold Camera Control.
Point the camera at the receipt.
Tap Split Bill with Apple Cash when the action appears.
Apple Intelligence reads the receipt and identifies the individual items.
From there, you can choose whether to request money or pay your own share.
This is the Visual Intelligence path Apple demonstrated at WWDC26.
Photos and screenshots work too
You do not need a physical receipt sitting in front of you.
Apple also supports existing receipt images.
In Photos:
Open a photo of the receipt.
Swipe up.
Tap Split Bill with Apple Cash when it appears.
You can also take a screenshot when a receipt is visible onscreen and tap the same Split Bill action.
That makes the feature useful for digital receipts as well as paper ones.
How Apple Cash calculates each person's share
Once the receipt is processed, Apple lets users review and correct the recognized line items.
You can:
Edit an item
Delete an incorrectly recognized item
Increase or decrease quantity
Assign items to different people
Split the bill evenly instead
Add a tip
Apple then calculates the payment request.
If an item is shared, recipients can adjust their portion when paying.
The important part is that the scan is not treated as unquestionable.
Apple gives users a review step before money is requested or sent, which is worth using whenever the receipt contains discounts, shared dishes, unusual formatting, or poorly printed text.
You can also pay your own share without waiting for a request
Apple supports the reverse workflow too.
If someone else paid the bill but has not yet sent a request, you can scan the receipt yourself and choose Pay Your Share.
Then:
Select the person you are paying.
Choose the items you ordered.
Adjust shared items or quantities.
Add your portion of the tip.
Review the calculated amount.
Send the Apple Cash payment.
In a group conversation, Apple lets you select which person receives the payment.
Apple Watch support is real, but limited
Early reports about Apple Watch payment support turned out to be partly correct.
Apple's final documentation confirms that Apple Watch can be used to pay an evenly split Apple Cash request.
On Apple Watch:
Open Messages.
Open the conversation containing the request.
Tap Pay [Name] [Amount].
Tap the send button.
Double-click the side button to confirm.
There is an important limit.
For itemized requests, Apple says users need to select their items and complete the payment on iPhone or iPad.
So Apple Watch can handle a simple equal split, but it is not the full receipt-itemization interface.
Apple Cash is the biggest limitation
The feature is built around Apple Cash, not around Apple Pay cards generally.
Apple says Apple Cash is available only in the US.
That means someone outside the US cannot use this specific bill-splitting flow just because they have Apple Pay.
Likewise, a group member who cannot send or receive Apple Cash cannot complete the Apple Cash settlement portion of the feature.
The receipt-reading technology and the payment system are part of one workflow here.
Apple does not document a mode that exports the itemized calculations for settlement through Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or another service.
Scanning a physical card into Apple Wallet
The other new Wallet feature is separate from bill splitting.
iOS 27 lets users create digital Wallet passes from physical or digital cards containing a barcode or QR code.
Apple positions this for things such as:
Loyalty cards
Membership cards
Library cards
Gym cards
Other barcode or QR-based passes
With Apple Intelligence, you can take a photo or screenshot containing the barcode or QR code.
If iOS recognizes it, tap Add to Wallet and follow the prompts.
Apple also lets you view the original image later from the finished pass.
You can create a Wallet pass manually too
Apple Intelligence is not required for every custom-pass workflow.
Apple's current Wallet documentation includes a manual creation path:
Open Wallet.
Tap the + button.
Tap Create a Pass.
Tap Create Pass Manually.
Choose a template.
Enter or edit the pass details.
Tap Done.
This matters because the original announcement focused heavily on Visual Intelligence.
The finished feature now has two different routes:
AI-assisted: create a pass from a photo or screenshot containing a barcode or QR code.
Manual: build the pass directly inside Wallet.
The manual route gives users an option even when the original card is not conveniently scannable.
What kinds of cards work?
Apple's documentation focuses on passes that ultimately present a barcode or QR code.
That can include many loyalty and membership cards.
It does not mean Wallet can turn any physical card into a fully functional digital equivalent.
For example, this custom-pass system is not a replacement for:
Payment cards
NFC access credentials
Car keys
Hotel keys
Government IDs
Other secure credentials that require issuer support
Those use separate Wallet systems.
If a card depends on proprietary NFC hardware or changing authentication data rather than a static barcode or QR code, manually copying its appearance into Wallet does not recreate the underlying credential.
Passes can appear on Apple Watch
Once a compatible pass is created and added to Wallet, Apple says it can be presented from iPhone or Apple Watch as a barcode or QR code.
Passes can also be pinned to the Apple Watch Smart Stack for quicker access.
That makes the feature particularly useful for static membership or loyalty cards that previously required carrying the physical card or opening a retailer's app.
What Apple has now confirmed
The iOS 27 Wallet picture is much clearer than it was during beta.
Bill splitting is public and documented.
It works through Wallet, Messages, Camera, Photos, and screenshots.
Receipt scanning requires Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.
That limits scanning to supported iPhones and iPads.
Apple Cash limits the payment feature to the US.
Having Apple Pay alone is not enough.
Apple Watch can pay even splits.
Itemized selections still need iPhone or iPad.
Custom passes are also live.
Users can create them from photos or screenshots with Apple Intelligence or build them manually inside Wallet.
What to do next
If you want to split a restaurant bill, start with the simplest path:
Wallet > Apple Cash > Send or Request > Split Bill
Or open the receipt through Camera, Photos, Messages, or a screenshot and look for Split Bill with Apple Cash.
Review every line item before sending a payment request, especially tax, tip, discounts, quantities, and shared dishes.
If the option does not appear, check four things:
Your iPhone or iPad supports Apple Intelligence.
Siri AI is enabled.
You're running current iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 software.
Apple Cash is set up and available for your account.
For physical loyalty or membership cards, use Add to Wallet from a photo or screenshot containing the barcode or QR code, or open Wallet and use Create a Pass manually.
The beta question is now settled. Both features are part of Apple's public iOS 27 Wallet experience, but bill splitting remains more restricted because it depends on Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and Apple Cash.
Comments
Be the first, drop a comment!