If a friend purchases tickets for an event later in the year, how long do you take to pay your share?

[Sunshadows]

I always pay within a week, I feel that's an acceptable time.

My two friends though, are very lax about this. Last year I booked tickets for the 3 of us in July, for a show in November. Although we all saw each other several times in this period, they waited until November and paid me at the theatre!

We're all seeing a show in 2 weeks time, that I booked at Christmas. One of them (who lives in my village!) has mentioned a few times she'd put the money through my door but hasn't. The other one lives a bit further away, but nothing to stop her doing a bank transfer!

It's not just me who books things, they sometimes book group tickets too but their timelines for payment are very different to mine!

The tickets aren't mega expensive, they tend to be about £30 each, but I'd rather be reimbursed soon afterwards. Months later is taking advantage, I feel.

As soon as my friend messages to say “booked you owe me x” I go online and transfer the money. So within an hour generally. Otherwise I run the risk of forgetting and making things awkward. It’s a bit thoughtless of your friends not to pay. If they couldn’t go would you never get the money?

I would normally pay when booked, but I wouldn’t be afraid to follow up with a friend I was expecting payment from.

unless money is tight, I would assume their life is busy and something like this would be easily forgotten. If they owe you the money, then they shouldn’t mind in the slightest about being reminded for payment

I would transfer the money immediately.

I've just done this recently on two different occasions and was paid by both sets of friends the same day. Just wondering if I was supposed to send them the tickets afterwards, as they were emailed out to me straight away?

Money in before tickets.

I'm surprised at the number of people saying immediately I see the booking has been made or right after, within 24 hours.

If the tickets are say £40 and you want to spend it (and it has to be spent there and then to secure the ticket - you can't wait and pay on the day!), just give it.

Why should one person have to even have £120 / £200 / £400 or whatever available to cover everyone first and wait for cash to be given back?

Straight away, I am shocked they think it's ok to do anything else!

Honestly, that won't work, they already do things like say they're about to drop the money round then don't.
Tell them you'll book when they've transferred the money. If they whinge, just repeat. "I'll book when the money from both of you is in my account". If they don't like that they can do the booking themselves.
You don't owe people free credit.

The way you're doing it isn't working for you OP. It's money first before booking or someone else can take over the booking tickets.

As soon as booked, if not before they actually make the booking.
Next time, send your bank details and say you are a bit short this month so would they mind sending the money before you book.
OR get one of them to book!

Normally as soon as booked but one of my friends likes to be paid on the night of the activity as she uses it for her spending money and to her it feels as though it’s a ‘cheap’ night out because she paid for the activity so long ago. That’s her request though - would never be so rude to make a friend wait unless that was their choice.

Yeah this. ^ I don't understand this thing where a group of people expect one person to fork out loads of £££, sometimes 3 figure sums (or more!) with the promise that the people they're booking for will pay up later.

There is ALWAYS one person, (sometimes more than one) who doesn't pay at all, or doesn't pay for many months. Why should the person organising tickets/events etc be out of pocket by 100s of pounds? (Sometimes for months!) The people involved need to cough up the money before it's booked. As I said, I would never book and pay for anything before people had paid me. (Unless it was for my adult DC of course.)

If it was paid for by debit card I pay straight away and my friends likewise. If it's been paid by credit card we give each other a heads up when the bill is due to be paid. This way it's fresh in your mind and the person who paid doesn't end up out of pocket.

I’d always pay someone up front if we know the exact cost so they have the funds to book or within 24hrs of them paying. Usually for tickets it’s in a group chat where we all agree to going and then you’ll get an ‘I’ll book and pay, can everyone send me the £x over please’ and pretty much everyone does as soon as they read it! Your friends are cheeky using you as a ‘buy now pay later’ service

As soon as the tickets are booked.

You need to tell her she needs to pay as soon as or you will sell her ticket.

I pay in advance (once the event has been agreed). I expect (and get) the same when I do the booking.

I think anything other than as soon as you've seen the message & have 1 min to do the transfer is bit inefficient - why give yourself yet another job to remember and the other person the extra mental load of having to check you've paid/chase you. I usually pay within the hour, and it would be rare not to pay the same day.

With friends like yours @Sunshadows - it would have to be money up front or they book it and you send them the money (immediately!). What a waste of time talking about putting money through your door (and not doing it) rather than just transferring the money in 2025!

OP
”I always pay within a week, I feel that's an acceptable time.”

Why do,you think waiting a week is ok? It’s much easier to do it immediately then it doesn’t get forgotten. It’s so easy to do online payments these days that there is no reason to wait.

Because often when booking tickets for events you don't know the exact cost until afterwards. For example I was booking theatre tickets for 6 people. It was a very popular limited run show and there were several different proce ranges. We set a limit but I didn't know whether they were going to be £20 each or £50 each.

I used a credit card and was happy to receive the money anytime that month before the card was due to be paid.

I would pay immediately!

That makes sense - I hadn't really considered this but could happen more often then I'd think.

Think I'd probably still send the limit if someone else was choosing tickets and wait for any of my share back, but I guess the credit card element means it's noone's actual cash they'll need instantly.

I always use my Amex for the consumer protection. It also means that if something goes on sale just before pay day I can book anyway & am happy for others to wait until after payday too.

As soon as you've paid for the tickets. You're out of pocket then so a good friend should pay you straight away.

Yes I pay up quickly. If people dont I would not commit to nights out again. You shouldnt have chase up money