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Original poster

Would you expect an offer of petrol money in this instance?

83 replies

Weeksywins · 30/07/2026 14:09

If driving with two friends on a 80 mile round social trip, would you expect them to offer petrol money?

OP posts:
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flippinnorastights · 30/07/2026 22:19

Absolutely not

blythet · 30/07/2026 22:17

My friends fall into 2 categories:

  1. close friends that take turns in driving/buying lunch/paying for coffees - No clue how much we’d owe each other over the years as nobody keeps count but pretty sure it balances out. None of us are struggling financially to the extent that 1/3 of the cost of petrol for an 80 mile trip would be an issue:
  2. less close friends that I don’t see as often and don’t typically take turns of paying for stuff. We’d always offer each other, then the other person would decline and there would be a polite argument and nobody would pay each other as we’d refuse to accept it. The one exception is that if I had a friend who I knew this cost would be enough to impact their spending, I’d insist on giving them money and probably leave it sitting in the car if they refused the offer
Toomucktoo · 30/07/2026 22:13

I wouldn’t offer but would pay for lunch and parking.

rollerblind · 30/07/2026 22:11

Happy to drive but would want passenger to pay for parking

Bunkerbun · 30/07/2026 22:08

No, because we are not 17. I’d offer to buy lunch or similar.

PollyBell · 30/07/2026 22:07

If i was going already or it was my choice no never

Buggeroffboss · 30/07/2026 21:38

Yes, and have always offered as a passenger as well.

It's something I'd have discussed before had though when arranging the trip. E.g. "I don't mind driving if we split the petrol" etc.

pimplebum · 30/07/2026 21:28

This is an income issue

poor people ( or people raised with limited income ) would offer as one person cant cover all that petrol

well off people would consider it a bit embarrassing to offer or receive it

i go for that good ‘ol british thing of offering but expect the person to enthusiastically decline but then buy them lunch to cover the cost

Swissmeringue · 30/07/2026 21:23

For 40 miles each way? No it wouldn't occur to me to expect anything. A longer drive, a couple of hours or more, or a regular weekly or fortnightly trip, I'd think it decent to offer something.

Zanatdy · 30/07/2026 21:15

Yes, but I probably wouldn’t accept if offered.

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 30/07/2026 21:14

auntiemaryhadaredcanary · 30/07/2026 18:51

https://www.cheapcarinsurance.co.uk/petrol-money-lift-legality-why-that-lift-could-invalidate-your-car-insurance/

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That's a click-baity article which confirms what common sense already tells you. It's clearly talking about people who deliberately set up a money-making side-hustle as a non-registered taxi driver, to take advantage of friends and acquaintances; nothing whatsoever to do with friends or family all going somewhere together and each paying a fair contribution towards the fuel rather than the driver/car owner having to stump up the lot on their own.

ClayPotaLot · 30/07/2026 19:49

It wouldn't occur to me nowadays, but when I was a cash strapped teen/20 something, definitely.

auntiemaryhadaredcanary · 30/07/2026 18:51

JackGrealishsCalves · 30/07/2026 16:35

Not true. Accepting a contribution towards petrol costs when giving someone a lift is not classed as hire or reward

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https://www.cheapcarinsurance.co.uk/petrol-money-lift-legality-why-that-lift-could-invalidate-your-car-insurance/

KrazyKatty · 30/07/2026 18:23

I’d ask them directly for a contribution of £x each before I’d agree to drive them that far, as petrol isn’t cheap and I’m on a pension.

TallagallaPenguin · 30/07/2026 18:11

DelphiniumBlue · 30/07/2026 14:53

I think it depends very much on people's financial circumstances. The petrol for an 80 mile journey is comparatively a lot of money for eg a single parent on NMW, and they might also be struggling to keep a car at all. So I would offer them petrol money . But my friend who is on 100k would not want or expect petrol money but would appreciate being treated to lunch.

Exactly this.

UnintentionalArcher · 30/07/2026 17:55

I’d probably offer but I wouldn’t really expect it if it was a friend and it either wasn’t a frequent thing or helping each other out was reciprocal. That said, if I needed the money that would be different and I would ask, or expect anyone who knew my circumstances to offer.

ETA: A colleague used to give me a lift to work multiple times a weeks. I do have a car, but he just really enjoyed driving. I did give him petrol money, an agreed amount based on mileage, because that was only fair and reasonable.

Seajaye · 30/07/2026 17:54

GisGasGus · 30/07/2026 16:31

Most people? Where are you getting that from, in all my many years of being a driver I can't remember ever being offered petrol money and I've given lifts to lots of people

Maybe they are all outliers but that doesnt seem likely

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Most people would offer if it is this particular group's custom and practice to share petrol costs . it's obviously not your custom and practice.
I used to offer petrol money for 10 mile return journey when I was offered lifts when I didn't have my own car and couldnt reciprocate. It was always accepted.

theneighbourstolemyteacup · 30/07/2026 17:44

Disturbia81 · 30/07/2026 16:03

That’s so weird.

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what's weird?

That I don't keep a spreadsheet over who does what? That would be weird, expecting payment for anything and everything.

LejlaKapovic · 30/07/2026 17:07

Weeksywins · 30/07/2026 14:09

If driving with two friends on a 80 mile round social trip, would you expect them to offer petrol money?

No, but in my friend group they'd insist on paying for lunch, coffee, etc. instead.

Savvysix1984 · 30/07/2026 16:53

No

BEAchDays2 · 30/07/2026 16:50

No, but that’s not a big distance to me

ParsleySageToiletDuckAndBinBags · 30/07/2026 16:41

auntiemaryhadaredcanary · 30/07/2026 15:00

You need to be a bit careful here OP and check your insurance policy.

There may be some clause in it about "not carrying passengers for hire or reward", and if you do that, it could invalidate the whole policy. I would check with your insurers ASAP.

Sharing the costs to cover a long journey is absolutely nothing like carrying passengers for hire or reward. Unless you deliberately charge them considerably more than it will have cost you for fuel and maybe a small contribution towards the maintenance of the car.

A taxi driver doesn't actually want to go where you are going; you are the sole reason why they are driving there - hence they charge you far more than the actual costs of the journey, to include a decent element of profit for them, and thus they will have appropriate insurance for carrying passengers for gain.

canuckup · 30/07/2026 16:39

Christ the bloody palaver over all this: option X, y, z, etc.

Just give the driver a tenner or buy her lunch, it's not complicated

canuckup · 30/07/2026 16:38

Yes.

JackGrealishsCalves · 30/07/2026 16:35

auntiemaryhadaredcanary · 30/07/2026 15:00

You need to be a bit careful here OP and check your insurance policy.

There may be some clause in it about "not carrying passengers for hire or reward", and if you do that, it could invalidate the whole policy. I would check with your insurers ASAP.

Not true. Accepting a contribution towards petrol costs when giving someone a lift is not classed as hire or reward