How to Split The Bill in Every Situation (Infographic)

“Who pays?” is the question every server will ask a group of diners, but the answer may start to surprise servers and restaurant owners.

Technology is changing the way people split the bill when dining out. This shift comes as financial apps make money accessible everywhere and advanced restaurant POS systems make dividing the check up easier than ever.

A common rule of thumb is that, unless designated beforehand, diners in a group setting should expect to split the tab evenly. But new research shows us that diners actually aren’t doing that in practice. In fact, 66 percent of people surveyed don’t split the bill evenly when dining with friends and 41 percent will always ask for separate checks.

As the industry standards change, it’s important for restaurant owners and servers to understand and anticipate how the bill should be handled. After all, great customer service should be simple on the customer and on trend. 

The below visual explores the five most common dining scenarios and how customers should navigate splitting the bill in each situation.