Many Australians are happy to be stingy when splitting bills among family and friends
Splitting bills can lead to some awkward conversations but it seems many of us aren’t willing to throw in a few extra dollars when dividing up the cost. VOTE, HAVE YOUR SAY
Many diners are happy to play scrooge with their family and friends and dish out the exact cost when they have to settle the bill.
Having an awkward conversation at the dinner table can put a dampener on a good night out, particularly if there’s someone at the table being a tightwad.
New analysis from Bankwest of 1000 Australians found many of us closely watch out pennies before handing over money on a night out:
• 34 per cent pay together but only hand over the exact amount.
• 30 per cent pay individually and for what they ordered.
• 36 per cent pay together and split the bill evenly despite what anyone ordered.
And while many Australians shy away from paying with cash, this is not the case when dining out or buying a few drinks at the bar. When splitting bills, two in three people throw in cash, while the rest prefer to use an app or do an online bank transfer.
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Bankwest’s executive general manager of customer solutions and insights, Pieter Vorster, said Australians remained big users of cash when divvying up the costs of meals and drinks.
“It’s much easier when you are paying together to put cash in instead of putting a massive amount on one person’s credit card and everyone has to pay you back,” he said.
“If you are going to a pub or club and you don’t want to have an awkward situation where you have to pay somebody, just pay with cash.”
Mr Vorster said it also came down to what was “socially acceptable”.
It’s often easier to pay someone using cash rather than making a digital transfer on the spot.
When we go into a shout at the pub, whether it be beers or vinos, the research found:
• 41 per cent buy a round and cover the bill.
• 42 per cent only buy a drink for themselves.
• 17 per cent buy a round but split the cost.
Crown Money Management chief executive officer Scott Parry said there were apps that helped split bills such as Plates, Splitwise and Splittr, but “cash remains king”.
“It’s ideal to have cash — it gives you a limit and you won’t go over that,” he said.
“Also having a conversation upfront is good so you know you are all in the same ballpark.”
Mr Parry said those who are tightwads could end up losing friendships if they failed to cough up their fair share when going out.
Under the New Payments Platform consumers can also use a PayID to transfer money.
This allows Australians who have registered their banking details to move money to each other using a person’s phone number or email address.
Originally published as Many Australians are happy to be stingy when splitting bills among family and friends