"Divide the bill, not the friendship." With this principle, the Ibizan startup Chipinfy aims to tackle a common social dilemma: settling restaurant bills fairly in group dining. Founded by programmer Jesse Krieg, aged 44, and his partner Aitor Morrás, the company has developed a web application that scans restaurant receipts, allows customers to select consumed items, and pay individually for exactly what they ordered.
The solution was officially presented in late November 2025 in Eivissa to institutional and hospitality sector representatives. The system seeks to streamline group payment handling in bars and restaurants, a significant need on an island where large gatherings over meals are commonplace both in peak seasons and special events. "My partner wanted to create a group payment system via Bizum for restaurants, but we realised it was complicated. Existing systems only allow splitting bills evenly, not item by item," Krieg explains. This gap motivated their work: enabling flexible, precise splitting where shared dishes or partial payments are possible — something not available with current tools.
Development and integration
Work on the project began in March 2025, with development following from April. Krieg, an experienced programmer, hired additional technical staff to bolster the build. The main challenge was not coding, but integrating the payment gateway with the restaurant’s settlement system. "The hardest part was connecting the payment gateway to the daily transfers to the restaurant," Krieg states. Currently, Chipinfy uses the Redsys banking gateway from La Caixa, ensuring restaurants receive funds the day after payment.
How it works
The platform is designed for ease of use by both customers and restaurants, requiring no app download as it operates via a mobile web browser. The process involves five steps: logging in, scanning the restaurant receipt, leveraging AI to identify and display items, selecting individual consumption including shared dishes, and finally generating a unique payment link distributed via WhatsApp or QR code for customers to pay by card.
Krieg notes, "The restaurant gets payment confirmation and can continue working with its existing system." No integration into the restaurant’s order management software is needed, simplifying adoption worldwide. Furthermore, Chipinfy offers personalised tipping options and a management dashboard for the restaurateur to track paid bills, consumption profiles, and ratings. This data-driven feature acts as a marketing tool, revealing customer profiles and consumption trends.
Time-saving and operational benefits
At the official launch, local hospitality representatives praised the operational improvements, pointing out how managing large groups can be lengthy and error-prone. According to company estimates, time spent per group bill can be reduced from eight minutes to two. This improvement is significant in the Ibizan context, where rapid table turnover enhances profitability during busy months.
"Staff don’t need to keep track of who has paid. This speeds up service and improves customer experience," says Krieg. Early reception has been cautious but generally positive; some restaurateurs were initially sceptical, but Chipinfy expects demonstrations at trade events like Horeca in Ibiza in early March to boost adoption. Currently, the startup counts agreements with around ten restaurants, mainly catering to younger clientele during summer. Their ambitious goal is adding at least ten restaurants weekly until late autumn, reaching around 500 across the Balearics by year-end.
Target market and practical uses
While available for any establishment, the service targets young people accustomed to mobile payments and precise expense tracking. Krieg gives an example: "The usual €20 pocket money you give your child for dinner. They scan the receipt and the parent can pay remotely." This enhances transparency and control in payments.
Insight and verified reviews
User experience has been a priority, with Krieg stressing the importance of understanding customers’ needs: "If the added value convinces you as a user, go for it." Beyond individualised payments, Chipinfy provides unique consumer insights. Traditional point-of-sale systems reveal how many salads were sold but not who consumed them in a shared bill context.
With Chipinfy, restaurants access detailed data on customer types, average spend by group, and tipping habits. "This information is incredibly valuable and not provided by any current system," Krieg emphasises. Such data enables targeted marketing campaigns, especially useful in a diverse tourist destination like Eivissa.
The platform also features a rating system linked to verified purchases, contrasting with general review sites like Google or TripAdvisor. "If you review a coffee, we know you paid for it; otherwise, you can’t post a review," says Krieg. This ensures authenticity in feedback, protecting the reputation of restaurants.
Market presence and business model
Chipinfy stands out as the only system allowing individualised, item-level bill payment without requiring prior software integration. It is already being trialled in France and is designed for global use. Krieg adds calmly, "We don’t know if others will try to copy us, but it’s not a concern. We’re focused on our own work." The startup charges no fixed fees or extra commissions to restaurants beyond existing card terminal costs. "They have nothing to lose. Payments processed through Chipinfy arrive the next day and business continues smoothly," Krieg explains.
Support from institutions and outlook
The platform’s late 2025 launch had institutional backing. Álex Minchiotti, Eivissa’s Trade Councillor, highlighted its European potential, noting countries like France, Italy, and Germany could adopt it. CentreBIT Eivissa recognised the project as the first locally incubated tech initiative, reflecting talent and a growing digital ecosystem on the island.
Krieg views this support as a boost but emphasises market challenges ahead: "The product is launched and we’re improving it gradually based on feedback." His advice to entrepreneurs draws from his background: "First, search online for similar solutions. Then think about adding more value and put yourself in the user’s shoes." He concludes, "Successful people have taken the plunge. It’s about making the leap."