Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for splitting a transaction among multiple participants. A system configured to practice the method first receives, at a first time, from a payor an identification of a payee and a policy, the payee having a payee account that was registered with a service provider prior to the first time. The system monitors, after the first time, purchasing transactions of the payee using the payee account for a qualified purchase according to the policy, wherein the policy, as defined by the payor, excludes a defined item. When the payee makes the qualified purchase by purchasing an item other than the defined item at a second time, which is later than the first time, the system transfers an amount of money into the payee account to pay for at least part of the qualified purchase.