What does AA mean, and how do you do it well?

If you've seen "let's go AA" or AA zhi (AA制) in a group chat and assumed it was shorthand for something, it isn't — unlike most abbreviations, "AA" here doesn't stand for specific words. The most common explanation traces it to "Algebraic Average," used loosely to mean "split it evenly," though the exact origin is debated. What's not debated is what it means in practice: everyone pays their own equal share of the bill, and no one fronts the total.

"Going AA" usually means evenly — until it doesn't

Because the term leans toward an even split by default, it runs into the same wall as any even-split convention: it feels fair when everyone ordered about the same amount, and unfair fast when they didn't. Our guide to itemized vs. even splitting covers how to spot when a bill should be itemized instead of split AA-style.

Keeping track without a spreadsheet

Groups that go AA regularly — a recurring dinner group, roommates who eat out together often — tend to lose track of who's covered what over time if they're doing it by memory or a shared note. Our guide to tracking shared expenses without a spreadsheet covers a system that actually holds up.