Who pays what?

[MotherOfOlafs]

Couple A have a voucher for a very nice seafood restaurant that was given to them as a gift, it’s for £100. They want to treat themselves to a platter for £75 because why not.

Couple A have invited good friends couple B to join them. Couple A will pay for their own food and put the rest towards whatever couple B order, so around £15-20 after accounting for soft drinks.

Couple B have asked if couple A will use the voucher then whatever is left to pay is split between both couples equally.

Couple A think that on one hand it’s their voucher so their items are covered, but on the other hand they did invite couple B to join them.

Which is the best option?

Couple A should go on their own and order a nice bottle of wine to go with the seafood platter.

Agree with others, couple B are cheeky and are getting a small discount which is nice. Couple A are using their gift for themselves as they should.

I think couple A created confusion by inviting couple B and offering to share some of the value of the voucher. I wouldn’t invite people and use a high value voucher unless I was prepared to split equally.

I’ve been couple B and was horrified my friend insisted on using her voucher for my meal. I’d have had no problem if she’d just used it towards hers. YANBU to spend it on your meal.

I think they have been more than generous offering the remainder to their friends. If they asked me this I’d say no and just go on our own!

Yea if I bought someone a £100 voucher say for a wedding gift, then they used it on another couple id be soooo annoyed!

Genuinely interested as to why everyone seems to be assuming that OP is part of couple A? I read it and thought they were B wanting to find out whether they were unreasonable to have expected that!

Absolutely this!!! Each couple pays for their own meal, regardless of how it's being paid for, I assume the voucher was a gift so wh yh should it be spent on anyone else!?

I think couple A made an odd choice to invite someone else along. If you invite surely you share? Or don't invite and spend it on yourselves. Seems really odd to me to invite someone else 'hey, want to come and watch me have a free dinner while you pay?!'

Couple A should just go alone and use voucher on their own.

If you want to avoid any awkwardness pop to the toilet pay the whole bill (using voucher) on your way back then just say “I’ve paid the bill just transfer me for yours later” do not mention voucher at all

So Couple B want to benefit equally from Couple A's gift?

Why on earth would they think Couple A would contribute their gift to the pot AND pay 50% of what is left on top (particularly when the voucher more than covers what Couple A intend on having so will cover a small part of their dinner too)

That seems quite CF behaviour to me

How did couple B come about asking? I just can’t imagine it.
I don’t think couple a should be contributing to B’s meal outside of the remaining voucher unless:

• you are going somewhere more expensive purely so couple a can use their voucher and b can’t afford it and would choose somewhere cheaper
• when inviting them it was made out that you had a voucher so wanted to treat them

Personally if it was me and this has happened a few times, I would use the voucher take it off the bill and split the rest equally. I quite often work in a restaurant and know that a lot of people do this but I can also see the argument for splitting it between 2 couples and one using the voucher to cover most of their own meal.

With a large voucher like this, especially as a gift I would have not invited others and just gone as a couple as never ends well.

if they must, I would make it clear from the start and see if couple B still want to attend.

If I were couple a - I'd be keeping the whole voucher for myself.. if you can split it

Couple B - have to pay for all their own food..

I would possibly rearrange the whole thing - and go without couple B

I think if I had a voucher to an expensive restaurant I would not invite anyone else along unless I was willing to split the voucher. So in this case the bill should have the voucher taken off then split the remainder 50/50. If you do not want to share the voucher don't ask anyone else along. Personally though if we were couple B we would offer to pay for our full meal but I can see why some would think the voucher should be shared.

So if you’d received cash as a gift, would you share that? If you aren’t planning on going 50/50, you pay your share with whatever means you have. For you, that’s a voucher.

Cash is a universal currency and can be used anywhere. A voucher is limited to use in only certain places and couple A are dictating where they are going.

I think this too. I wouldn’t invite anyone else if I had a voucher they weren’t going to be included in.

I agree - except in a situation whether the other invitees are regulars/genuinely want to go.
£25 towards Couple B's meal is still better than nothing.
However, obviously it's a very small amount compared to splitting the voucher.

Why was couple B invited in the first place?

I think somewhere in the middle. Like @PuggyPuggyPuggy said, neither is a good look.

We've done this with friends before but much more amicably. Couple A have offered to split the remaining bill, couple B have insisted they pay it in full, they reach a compromise, everyone happy.

Couple A should go on their own and enjoy their voucher.

Couple A are stingey. Couple A wants an exclusive voucher, then go by themselves. If Couple A invite Couple B then be generous and take joy from treating yourselves and your friends. Absolute tight arses otherwise.

I think you missed my point… I’m also pretty clear on how cash works😂