What’s fair here?

[ColdExtremities]

Friends A and B meet for dinner or spa days very regularly. Bill is always split 50/50 as they tend to have similar tastes in food, wine etc.

They met last night at a restaurant that both wanted to go to. On arrival, A mentions that she was a £100 voucher for that restaurant that she’s happy for them to use it towards the meal as it’s not a place she goes to often.

Both eat and drink and have a lovely night.

The bill arrives and it’s for £144.

Who should pay what?

This

This

We will have to differ. If I was going on my own and spent £72 I wouldn't get change from the restaurant in cash. To get that change back from my friend instead and end up profiting from them is utterly bizarre to me.

B pays 44. It's not like a newspaper voucher BOGOF anyone could have got, it's a gift voucher and usually you can keep a balance on them.

Yes we'll differ, I wouldn't see it as giving change by expecting voucher holder friend to foot the brunt of the bill.
I'd see it as taking the piss by not offering an equal half.

But if I've understood the OP's question correctly it was a what would you do question, so I took that as in what would I actually do, me as a person.

Clearly, by your continued commenting on the fact that it's weird that I like to pay my way you don't like it that I'm have an opinion that differs from yours or so I'll leave it there.

Clearly, by your continued commenting on the fact that it's weird that I like to pay my way you don't like it that I'm have an opinion that differs from yours or so I'll leave it there.
Goodness, you don't have to take it that much to heart. It's how discussions work, by people having different opinions. You asked why I thought it was weird you'd pay extra some answered

Your attempt to insult me by saying I don't pay my way doesn't work as I clearly don't think it's accurate.

A puts the voucher on the table, and because we're British, the both look at the bill.
B says oh I'll add my £44 to cover it but let me transfer you the balance I'd feel
Awful if you paid too much
A says no I won't hear of it!! In fact we should put down £22 each
They compromise on B paying £44
Tip not included because it's too early for maths... but B should pay that too.

B pays £60 pounds (£44 balance plus £16 tip)

22 each (might change my opinion depending on why she has the voucher. Raffle prize? 22 each. Refund from a previous dinner at the place? B pays 44)

Actually, if it was refund, as in the voucher is replacement money, not 'free' money, then we could go halves entirely - although I'd feel weird giving her cash, so would likely just treat her to something another day.

I went out with a friend the other day and had a discount voucher.

It's was a no brainier for me we each got an equal share of the discount.

We split the rest.

But I also made it clear before we ate I had discount and would still split the bill.

It depends on how friend phrased it

I'd have offered half of the full bill so £72. If friend was kind enough to say no I'm happy to pay the £100 then I'd have paid the balance and the tip and been happy with that.

This !

Thinking how me and my bestie would do it...

I think we'd split it £22 each without a thought tbh. And I'd probably buy the next round of coffees as a thank you.

We're generally of the view that we've been friends for 30 years, and plan to be for at least 30 more, and things like money spent on meals etc will eventually balance itself out!

It's always potentially a bit awkward giving somebody a voucher for considerably more than one person is likely to spend on their meal.

Obviously not if they're going to use it with their spouse or children, but with friends, it can cause embarrassment. Even then, it can be fraught giving a 'double' gift to one person, half of which will be used and enjoyed by somebody else, thus the birthday person only effectively gets half of their own gift.

Even if it is possible to hold a balance on the voucher, it can still be interpreted by some people as 'mean'. Our favourite local pub-restaurant only does physical, printed £10 vouchers - so if somebody gives you 'a £100 voucher', you actually get 10 x £10 vouchers, meaning you can just spend as many as you need on more than one occasion.

I agree with PP that it depends massively whether it's a coupon snipped out of a magazine - so probably on a 'you have to spend X before you can get Y free' basis - or if it's your birthday present that somebody paid the full face value for, so effectively it's (restricted-use) cash.

Bank of England Gift Vouchers are the best of all

But can you be sure that the amount of restaurant vouchers you each get for birthdays, Christmas presents etc. will balance out over that time?

Say one of you has parents who regularly gives you a restaurant voucher for your birthday, whilst the other has parents who give them jewellery or a handbag or whatever - even a different voucher, for Amazon or Boots or similar, for theirs, then one of you is always sharing your presents whilst the other gets to keep them all to themselves.

I would have thought splitting the £144 down the middle so each pays £77 each is more fair. Unless A willingly puts 100% of the voucher towards the meal.

If the voucher was a deal such as ‘spend x amount and get £100 off’ then the voucher is split and each pay £22 each. But if it was a gift to A that was bought by someone else I don’t see why she would be obliged to use it for B unless it was by choice.

Same here, but I agree it does depend on the friend

If they're the type to do the same then fair enough,, but if they're more inclined to take that would make a difference

I would pay the 44.