Just tell the wait staff who's paying for who. They can split the checks. They can split appetizers. I literally do it everytime I eat out with my parents and friends and it's not the end of the world. Plus nobody has to worry about having the right amount of cash. Everybody can use their credit card. It's just easier. If you have to talk about who's paying for who or how much who owes who you are doing it wrong and you're just making it harder on yourselves.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Restaurant check splitting protocol: Itemized or even split?
- Thread starter entremet
- Start date
- Status
Bully for you. You've made it very clear how financially secure you are but how about a little compassion for people who might not be?
Or is life too short to be friends with those people?
I'm more than happy to split a bill with friends even though being vegan just about guarantees my total order is cheaper than theirs. But if others didn't drink or I happened to order something significantly more expensive I'll throw in what I need to to cover it.
Taco_Human
Member
I just throw in a couple extra bucks in addition to what my food costs. Makes everything easier.
Khaos_Knight
Banned
I pay for what I ordered and then add a few dollars to cover my share of the gratuity fee.
Phoenix
Member
No, we just don't care. Its not that serious.
IchigoSharingan
Member
Omg I know exactly what you're talking about. cheers mate.
Megalosaro
Banned
Itemized. Thank god all my friends agree on that too.
The Albatross
Member
I usually split it unless someone gets a lot more. With friends I usually say like "We'll split it and you owe me $5" or something
entremet
Member
I'm not a huge drinker. Maybe one round or two, yet I always offer to split. My friends are lushes, though. Funny that.
I just don't like getting nitpick about money when I'm having a good time with great company.
GoldenEye 007
Member
It's extremely easy for competent restaurants to have everything split in an itemized manner. So I have no problems asking for checks that way in the event I'm in a large group.
No rational need to be embarrassed or insecure. I'm also not sure why people think it's so much an issue it becomes nitpicking. If a restaurant can't do it easily, it likely means their underlying system sucks and they need to get a non-useless one.
No rational need to be embarrassed or insecure. I'm also not sure why people think it's so much an issue it becomes nitpicking. If a restaurant can't do it easily, it likely means their underlying system sucks and they need to get a non-useless one.
mullet2000
Member
Are seperate bills not a common thing in the US or something?
I'm Canadian and 99% of the time everyone I've ever eaten with gets a separate bill. A large amount of restaurants assume you're going to just handle the bills that way too.
I'm Canadian and 99% of the time everyone I've ever eaten with gets a separate bill. A large amount of restaurants assume you're going to just handle the bills that way too.
entremet
Member
Not by default. You have ask for them.
mullet2000
Member
Sure, many places don't do it by default here either.
But what's so hard about asking? Why are so many people putting in effort to split a large bill multiple ways when you can just get seperate bills? Seems like a hassle for no reason.
Megalosaro
Banned
You can ask for split checks, but some restaurants have a limit on how many split checks you can do for whatever reason.
I'm sure we'll have some people come here and say asking for split checks is tacky or something.
Split. If you got a particularly expensive item or more drinks, throw in what you owe above the split, cover the tip, whatever. Don't tell someone else they need to throw in more money if they had the more expensive meal, unless it's something significant enough to warrant it. But unless someone outpaced the rest of the group by a crapton of drinks or barred anyone else from touching their appetizer, 98% of the time the price discrepancy isn't enough to justify making an issue of it.
I prefer asking for separate checks ahead of time. I hate the clusterfuck of awkwardness when a single check comes out, and nobody wants to grab it or take initiative.
A friend of mine is notorious for skimping on bills. He'll order more food and drinks, yet he'll end up putting less than the average split.
A friend of mine is notorious for skimping on bills. He'll order more food and drinks, yet he'll end up putting less than the average split.
makingmusic476
Member
I agree with the people saying that itemized checks are considerate for those who might be hard up for money. We're not all in a position to be bleeding a few bucks here and there for convenience. If somebody orders a small sandwhich to save some money, it's rude to expect them to pay an even share of the whole table's order.
When my friends and I go out, we usually do one of the following:
1. If we're sharing a bunch of stuff (ie, splitting several sushi rolls), we'll get one check and split it roughly even.
2. We'll take one check and eyeball how much we all owe, with all of us offering to chip in a bit extra.
3. We'll get separate checks.
It's a toss up between 2 and 3 when the occasion arises.
When my friends and I go out, we usually do one of the following:
1. If we're sharing a bunch of stuff (ie, splitting several sushi rolls), we'll get one check and split it roughly even.
2. We'll take one check and eyeball how much we all owe, with all of us offering to chip in a bit extra.
3. We'll get separate checks.
It's a toss up between 2 and 3 when the occasion arises.
SolidusDave
Member
In Germany, even the restaurants that won't/can't print out separate bills will just ask each person in the group what they had and then cross it off the bill. Each person pays and generally tips then a small amount, mostly to just round up to an even number for the change (so 18.90 becomes 20€ e.g.).
This also allows people to invite the group for certain things, like paying for a few rounds of shots to celebrate something. Plus some people can leave earlier than the rest and just pay their bill before the rest does.
Never had to calculate by myself. I guess I would go for an even split in that case, although it's not true that it evens out over time. Heavy drinkers will not suddenly order just a single beer and vegetarians won't suddenly order expensive meat plates.
This also allows people to invite the group for certain things, like paying for a few rounds of shots to celebrate something. Plus some people can leave earlier than the rest and just pay their bill before the rest does.
Never had to calculate by myself. I guess I would go for an even split in that case, although it's not true that it evens out over time. Heavy drinkers will not suddenly order just a single beer and vegetarians won't suddenly order expensive meat plates.
Separate checks makes everything so much easier. I'm sure getting bottles and appetizers might make that difficult.
Duracelllll
Member
Itemised is best.
Phat Michael
Banned
Compassion? if someone takes too long i go and handle it. It's nothing about the time, i just dont like seeing people squabble over what will amount to be $3-4 max.
I said that if we all eat, we all pay and split it. If people start squabbling im not a fan and will sort it out myself.
Im not talking about $500 per head restaurants here - just your every day run of the mill place.
I generally prefer itemising for the *opposite* reason: I tend to be likely to be a little more expensive, and I actively dislike the idea of other people subsidising that. Although then again, I don't drink alcohol, and that can balance things out.
Dot Matrix
Member
As a non drinker, I used to wait for the bill to arrive, get out enough cash for what I ordered and hand it to whoever is checking the bill at the time. Tell them it covers mine and a tip and tell them Im popping out for a fag. Let them deal with how the alcohol is split up.
Now I do exactly the same but with an e-cigarette. I dont even like them that much, but it gives me a reason to just not have to deal with such a petty situation.
Now I do exactly the same but with an e-cigarette. I dont even like them that much, but it gives me a reason to just not have to deal with such a petty situation.
I like to try and make sure i've got some amount of cash in various denominations. When it comes to the bill remember what I had, figure out the rough cost of that then bang on a little extra for gratuity/covering in case I didn't quite work it right. Then call it a day and let everyone else do what they want.
I've not been to a restaurant in quite a while that couldn't just split it and let everyone pay separately by card/preferred method anyway though.
I've not been to a restaurant in quite a while that couldn't just split it and let everyone pay separately by card/preferred method anyway though.
Vivalaraza
Member
Depends who you're out with doesn't it.
Been to a few places lately where they've said you can't split the bill. Bullshit. One of the few times where I'm willing to make a scene over customer service.
Been to a few places lately where they've said you can't split the bill. Bullshit. One of the few times where I'm willing to make a scene over customer service.
Neither of these things is always true. Many systems specifically can't split items like appetizers especially.
If it's a restaurants policy and you don't like it, go somewhere else.
Vivalaraza
Member
Indeed and once I know that is their policy I most likely won't go back in a big group.
But I don't think splitting a £200/£300 bill is too much to ask - or something that you should have to check beforehand.
This.
Of course if you promise that you will pay the dinner, you will pay it in full.
Phat Michael
Banned
I also have no problems with this. If your bill is like..$52, give them $60 and leave.
So if you and me go have dinner, and i have this monster steak, and a shrimp appetizer, and you have a salad, we should split it?
Tip aside.
Phat Michael
Banned
that's just common sense. Im pretty sure he meant in a group where its easier to just split it up. pretty rare you get that discrepancy where one person has a steak and shrimp and one person just has a salad!
I'm totally gonna have dinner with you and MrChom as often as I can.
This is the thing....I eat dinner with normal people who don't abuse this. Damn all those social conventions between actual friends!
This. I don't see why people would have a problem paying for the items they ordered.
The only people I've seen wanting a split is those that realize they spent way too much and want other people to help pay for it.
So you're saying you don't split things evenly?
Disagree with this part. You should check beforehand because you simply don't know what their computer system can and can't do. For instance many systems can't split an actual item, so if you order a bottle of wine or appetizer for the group, it simply can't be split. It has to go on one person's check.
- Status