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Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What carriers are supported?

Currently only AT&T bills are supported. T-Mobile and Verizon support are planned for future releases.

Is my data stored anywhere?

No. All processing happens locally on your machine. PDFs are temporarily stored in the backend/temp folder during parsing and then deleted. Groups are saved only in your browser's localStorage.

How much does it cost to run?

  • LlamaParse: Free tier (1000 pages/day) - plenty for personal use
  • Total estimated cost: ~$0.02-0.04/month for typical usage (1-2 bills)

Can I use this for commercial purposes?

Yes, the project is MIT licensed. However, please verify the API usage terms with LlamaCloud and OpenAI for commercial use.

Setup & Installation

Do I need to use Bun?

No, but it's recommended. You can use Node.js 22+ instead:

npm install  # instead of bun install
npm run dev  # instead of bun run dev

I don't have API keys. Can I still use it?

No, you need a LlamaCloud API key to parse PDFs. The free tier is generous for personal use.

The backend won't start. What's wrong?

Common issues:

  • Port 3001 already in use (change PORT in .env)
  • Missing .env file (copy from .env.example)
  • Invalid API keys (verify at cloud.llamaindex.ai)
  • Missing temp directory (run mkdir temp in backend folder)

Usage Questions

Can I upload multiple bills at once?

Not yet. Currently, you can upload one bill at a time. Multi-bill support is planned.

How do I edit a line's amount after parsing?

Currently not supported. The parser extracts data as-is from the bill. Manual editing is a planned feature.

Can I export my groups?

Not yet. CSV/PDF export is on the roadmap.

My bill parsed incorrectly. What should I do?

  1. Verify it's an AT&T bill (other carriers not yet supported)
  2. Check if the PDF is a scanned image (text-based PDFs work best)
  3. Open an issue on GitHub with details about the parsing error

Where are groups stored?

Groups are stored in your browser's localStorage with key splitbill-groups. They persist across page refreshes but are lost if you clear browser data.

Features & Roadmap

When will T-Mobile/Verizon support be added?

We're actively working on it! Follow the repo for updates.

Can I track bills over time?

Not yet. Historical tracking is planned for a future release.

Can I share my groups with others?

Not yet. Shareable links are on the roadmap.

Can I customize group colors?

Not yet in the UI, but groups do have color assignments. Custom color selection is a planned enhancement.

Technical Questions

Why does parsing take 5-10 seconds?

The backend uses LlamaParse to extract text from PDF, then OpenAI to structure the data. This involves:

  1. Uploading PDF to LlamaParse (~2-3s)
  2. PDF text extraction (~2-3s)
  3. AI structuring with GPT-4o-mini (~2-3s)

Can I self-host this?

Yes! The entire stack runs locally. For production deployment:

  • Deploy backend to any Node.js host (Railway, Render, Fly.io)
  • Deploy frontend to Vercel, Netlify, or Cloudflare Pages
  • Update API_URL in frontend code to point to your backend

Is there a Docker setup?

Not yet, but it's on the roadmap. Contributions welcome!

Why Bun instead of Node?

Bun is faster, has built-in TypeScript support, and includes package management. But Node.js 22+ works fine too if you prefer it.

Privacy & Security

Should I be concerned about uploading my bill?

The app processes files locally and doesn't store them permanently. However:

  • Redact sensitive info (SSN, full account numbers) before uploading
  • Run the app on your own machine, not a shared computer
  • Don't commit .env files with API keys to version control

Does this violate AT&T's terms of service?

This tool is for personal use to help understand and split your own bills. It doesn't violate any terms. Always verify amounts against your actual bill.

Still have questions? Open an issue on GitHub or start a discussion!