PayPal has a new bill split feature you can use even after you've paid.

The new feature has been designed to make it easier for groups of friends or family to split payments for restaurant meals, gifts or ticket purchases.

It's free to use in the PayPal app, with a pool where users can invite friends and family to contribute.

The people invited to pay contributions do not need to have a PayPal account to make payments.

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Payees can track contributions, and the organiser can transfer the money to their PayPal balance to spend or withdraw to their bank account.

To use the new feature, select “pool money” from the app menu or in the “more options” menu from the “send/request” tab.

Enter a title, description, target date, and optional goal amount or cover image, if you're feeling fancy.

Share your pool link with friends and family via text, email or WhatsApp. Then press “transfer” from the Pool home page to transfer your funds to your PayPal balance

It comes as new research from PayPal shows more people are now keen to split the bill when it comes to eating out or buying gifts.

It found 67% of friends and family have split payments for a group dinner and 42% have split payments to help with living payments.

PayPal is not the only payment provider to offer a service like this, either, with Monzo doing the same.

Some non-cash payment methods can give consumers additional protections if something goes wrong. For example, someone paying by credit card could have protections under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

People paying by card may also be able to ask their bank to reverse a transaction under the chargeback scheme, if something goes wrong with a purchase.