Date debate: Who pays the bill?
BEING on the dating circuit can be pricey if you’re left picking up the bill at the end of the night.
For those on the hunt to find true love, it appears there’s a real divide on who should pay.
Independent research commissioned by online reservation platform OpenTable quizzed more than 1000 Australians and found for those on a first date, 48 per cent of men believed they should pay, compared with only 25 per cent of women.
Melissa Pearson, 21, said her first date with now-boyfriend Jack Coles, 24, was smooth sailing when it came to handling payment.
“Jack was really open to paying; he was a gentleman and insisted on paying for it,’’ she said. “It wasn’t until our fourth or fifth date that I paid.”
Ms Pearson said they now split bills and take turns paying.
Consumer finance expert Lisa Montgomery said broaching the “who will pay” topic could be awkward so “be prepared to have the conversation when the bill comes”.
She suggests being armed with cash in case both parties decide on “Going Dutch’’.
“Challenging discussions can arise when you both have cards to place on the table,’’ Ms Montgomery said.
She said it can be a nice gesture to offer to pay even if this is declined.
“Its always good to ask if you can make a ‘contribution’ to the cost if someone else pays, because that shows intent to want to pay,” Ms Montgomery said.