Having friends round for takeaway - who pays?

[Thepurpleturtle]

Having a takeaway with friends at your house.

Who pays?

The host or split the bill?

I think there is a other side op, which is as a guest I would absolutely never just sit there whilst someone bought be a takeaway and would insist in giving my share,

A cooked meal is very different.

I have a horrible feeling some of these responses are from folks who would never invite someone to their house for a takeaway ans would just love to be invited ans someone buy them one. The term “free food” kinda gives it away,

I reckon it depends on the takeaway as well. Chippie tea instead of cooking, I'd pay, expensive restaurant as a treat, we'd be splitting it.

I would pay

Our house we pay, their house they pay and if we go out to a restaurant we split bill down the middle

Depends how it came about - we usually order take away with other families because we want to be in home environment for all our children to run around and make noise as they please so we would split bill.

If I was inviting people round for food, I would provide it whether take away or cooking.

We would always split

Depends a bit, if it's another couple that we have invited over for the evening and maybe don't see very often we pay.

If it's just my group of girlfriends, split always but the host usually provides nibble as a started and someone volunteers to bring pudding, the rest bring drinks. We do this regularly but usually at the same friends house as she has the biggest table and a husband that works away quite a lot.

i always split it unless ive specifically said i dont want to cook im buying you a takeaway

Depends. In my circle of 'dinner party' friends read that as come round and get pissed with some food one never cooks so she pays for the take away. Any other situation we always split. I think there is a generational divide on this one too.

Host

I'd say host pays, if you invite them for a BBQ/dinner you'd provide the food

Etiquette is that the host pays but then etiquette says that bringing a bottle of wine is rude...

I think if someone invited me to come for a takeaway, I would assume it was an informal invitation, a suggestion for something to do as a group of friends on a par with going out for drinks or the cinema, rather than a formal invitation for dinner, IYSWIM, and expect we would be splitting the bill. TBH, it would only be close friends that would do that. I don't think I've ever shared a takeaway with friends in anything but an informal situation.

If someone invited me for dinner then ordered a takeaway instead of cooking, I would offer to split the bill but think it was a bit cheeky if they accepted.

Split

It depends on how it came about. If it's "come for dinner Saturday, it'll be a takeaway" then the host pays.

If it's "wanna do something saturday? Yeah let's get a takeaway. Okay, we can have it at mine" then you split it

I'd always offer to split though no matter how it came about and wouldn't be put out of the host took me up on my offer to pay half

Split it. I have the only house we can socialise at. Like fuck am I paying for everything!

Split.

We always split take away with friends as they are much more expensive than cooking a meal.

These days host pays, because we all have decent incomes. Previously when kids younger and before, we would have been upfront about splitting the bill but happy to provide warm sofa etc

If I invite friends to my house for a takeaway, I'll pay.

If during the invitation or visit, we all decided to chip in for a takeaway, then we all pay.

If someone invites me to their house for a takeaway, I believe they should pay but I know some people don't think the same, so I always have enough on me to pay if needed.

@negomi90

If you invite people over to your house you feed them whether that's cooking or ordering in. Host pays. That's basic hospitality and manners (though a guest could choose to offer to chip in, they don't have to).

Eating out is different. A meet up somewhere agreed on by both parties - bill should be split (unless someone chooses to pay). An offer to take someone out for dinner to X, the person offering should pay as they are essentially hosting (but again the guest can and probably should offer to pay if they can afford it).

But it's not as simple as that.

Since covid we've had more people round for takeaways as we've got a nice outside area. My friends would never expect us to pay as we'd be doing it all the time! We split and people bring drinks too.

We would pay
Our friends bring the booze.
When we go to their house they pay and we bring the booze 🍹🍹🍹

Split the bill but would say before hand so they know

If it was me, i would pay, i have invited you to my house and i would pay. I would expect you not to turn up empty handed though either bring wine or dessert. If i was invited to someone's for a takeaway i wouldn't be expecting to pay either, but i would bring wine and dessert or nibbles. Actually we have just had a similar weekend with friends two weeks ago, we organized the Chinese, texted them during the day as to what they wanted etc, They brought (very nice) wine and crisps, it was a very enjoyable night.

If I was the guest I would assume split unless otherwise stated. If I was the host it would depend on who, mostly it would be split, but friends who I know are struggle I would offer to pay, or we'd do something different. Either way I would make it clear in the wording of the invite.