Help settle a restaurant debate.

[IcedTeaForMe]

I wasn't one of the people in this scenario but I was having this discussion with a friend who was.

There are five people out to dinner and they're splitting the billl. One person(my Friend) Karen has a gift card for the restaurant given to her by her employer. The gift card more than covers her share so she generously says that the rest of the gift card can be used to deduct from the bill for the other diners meaning that they'd pay around ten pounds less than they would have without Karen's gift card. One diner objects and says that the remaining bill should be split between all five(including Karen) and not the remaining four because she hasn't actually contributed any money to the bill, only a gift card that she didn't pay for.

It seems pretty clear cut to me who was in the wrong, but I'm curious to know what MN thinks?

I would use the gift card to deduct from the total bill, and then split the rest of it between us all.

However if someone I was dining with chose to use their gift card to cover their own food then I wouldn’t have anything to say about it, that’s their choice. I certainly wouldn’t call them out on it.

Objector sounds jealous, petty and mean-spirited. I couldn't care less how people pay as long as they are not asking me to pay more than my share, which is not the case here, in fact, she is offering her extra money to make their bill SMALLER. Some people.

So we all go out to dinner, I announce hey I'm lucky my employer gave me £100 bonus today, it was due to excellent performance, I'm going to use that to buy my dinner. As I'm a generous person I'm going to throw on the whole lot and treat everyone to a £10 worth of food drink on me!

Would people still expect me to pay a second share? Why is it a difference if it's cash?

I think the objector must've had too much wine!

Ian is a complete and utter twat. Karen is lovely and it doesn't matter and is no one's business how she pays for her part of the bill, as long as she does so. To be so rude after she has then been generous as well takes some serious balls and entitlement. I really do despair of people sometimes.

If Karen needs a new club, I don't know what kind of club it might be, but I would be up for joining ;)

Karen sounds great. Ian sounds like a total cocksmack.

If someone wanted to pay £10 of MY meal I'd say thank you very much, you're very generous! Ian is a total arse who clearly goes around cutting off his nose to spite his face.

Honestly I can't really explain why it would be considered cheeky but it 100% would be in my various social groups. It just wouldn't happen. The gift card would be put towards the bill to the benefit of everyone and the rest would be split.

If it was my gift card and I didn't want to benefit the group I was with then I wouldn't use it at that time. I would be mortified to bring out a gift card and say its just for my share. It's just not the done thing here.

She paid for it ! Why does it matter how? Not just that,but her method allowed other diners to pay less AND she covered the tip. What more does Ian want? Her first born and the blood of a virgin?

Some people are just dicks and look for slights everywhere. Entitled, soapbox "is this fair", measures cakes with a ruler whine bag.

A couple of bonkers suggestions on this thread, I hope you aren't able to vote or drive a motorised vehicle.

I probably would have used the gift card to take whatever amount it was for off the whole total and then split the rest five ways but it was up to Karen what she did with it, it was her gift card, and the person who objected was being an ungrateful fucker.

I think some folks are really confused and think thr gift card is like some groupon voucher, it's not.

People saying they'd basically buy their friends dinner, using both the gift card and their cash then I'm assuming they always buy their friends dinner, because in this scenario the gift card is no different to cash. It's not some voucher.

The gift card here is irrelevant. It's the same as cash. It doesn't matter how Karen paid, be it credit card, debit card, cash or gift card. The methodology is irrelevant. As said this isn't some money off voucher or something, a gift card is a very different animal.

If people think of it as a pre loaded credit card they will have a better understanding. So if they say they would use both what they are saying is they'd use their credit card to pay for the meal, then they'd pay for their meal in cash too, to reduce the cost to everyone else.

So either they are loaded, incredibly generous or they are confused,

Oh, right, thank you for the explanation, @Morgan12. I sort of see what you're getting at now. So if one of your social circle had been given a gift of cash equivalent to a gift voucher, would they expected to throw all the cash in for the benefit of all the group, or just to pay their own share using some of the cash and getting change back?

*they be expected

If it was my gift card and I didn't want to benefit the group I was with then I wouldn't use it at that time. I would be mortified to bring out a gift card and say its just for my share. It's just not the done thing here.
But Morgan the group did benefit. They all got an unexpected £10'knocked off their bill. I don't understand how it's different to going into a wallet and handing over a few tenners as it is handing over a card, whether it's a debit, Barclaycard or a loaded gift card. They are all forms of currency.

I don't understand Morgan. So basically what you're saying, as the gift card is the same as a lre loaded credit card, anyone who has a credit card in your group and uses it, has to pay for everyone meal? That it's cheeky not to pay cash?

That's a very odd social etiquette you've got going on. I'm assuming no one admits to owning a credit card?

Morgan, do you move in circles that struggle with basic maths and money management? That's the only way I can make sense of what you've said.

Karen has £100 on a gift card.

Karen has £100 in cash.

Karen pays £100 with a credit or debit or charge card.

What's the difference? None at all.

They are all forms of currency.

Yes, but apparantly in Morgan's group if anyone's uses a card to pay they have to buy everyone dinner,

It's odd. But there you go.

@grumiosmum
@RosaWaiting

What the hell are you on about!!!

A gift card, from an employer, is a tax efficient replacement of wages. It’s money. Why the hell should the person with the gift card then pay for their share of the meal and subsidise the others.

If you got an amazon voucher for your birthday and used it to buy someone a birthday present, would you then buy them another present because you used a gift card so it wasn’t really a present from you? Of course you wouldn’t.

Are you confusing this with some kind of discount voucher, like a buy one meal get one free? Where I can see you would share the benefit

But a gift card, from work, that’s cash. And anyone who thinks it’s socially unacceptable or unfair to do it is profoundly stupid.

I went out for dinner with a friend a few years ago. She had a gift card, and insisted on using the full amount and then I paid the rest - so, basically, what your friend did. I was horrified that she was using any of it towards my meal, and would have much preferred (in a way) to pay for my own and let her use the rest another day.

So on that basis I'm definitely with your friend and the guy who complained about it is a right CF!

Karen was very generous . she could have used the voucher with her partner or close friend and had a lovely night out . But no she chose to spend it on herself ( it was hers fgs) and contribute to all of the groups meals . Ian is a prat.

Yes, but apparantly in Morgan's group if anyone's uses a card to pay they have to buy everyone dinner,
Blimey, I'm glad I'm not Morgan's friend. Sorry Morgan.

The people who would pay more on top of using a gift card are mugs.

Blimey, I'm glad I'm not Morgan's friend. Sorry Morgan

Agree, it's odd, a gift card is simply cash on a card. And it is no different to a credit or debit card. As a pp said it's a tax efficient way for an employer to pay benefits. It is no different from any other salary benefit someone gets. Why Morgan's group feel anyone who has cash available on a card has to use it to pay for everyone's meal is beyond me.

But I'd bet they all pay cash when they go out to dinner.😂

actually did this once, because a local restaurant had a great deal where if you spent £30 on a gift card they upped the value to £50
Well, thank God you didn’t pull that stunt on Ian’s watch. He’d have proclaimed you some kind of MoneySavingExpertWitch. He may have advocated a witch ducking in the ice bucket (if indeed he allows wine to be purchased at communal feasts).

It's just not the done thing here.

I'd love to know where "here" is and what other unusual traditions they boast!