Who should pay the bill on a first date?

[Justposting]

Do you offer to pay half the bill on a first date or do you let the man pay for your meal?

And if you’re a man do you get offended when the women offer to pay, or is this something which is expected?

Who asks should pay because are choosing the place. If that is not the deal, it needs to be made clear to the person in advance so they can check the proposed date fits in with their budget. I think you need to say something like "Do you fancy coming to the Red Lion on Saturday. They do a set menu for £50." You can't just ask someone on a date and them be stuck with a bill they are uncomfortable with if they haven't done their due diligence on the venue. That is the rule I apply to friends too.

I dislike 50/50 because it is quibbling over pennies and paying for what you have had is even worse.

If you can only afford 1 meal and not 2, it is not a good place for a first date. Pick somewhere comfortably in your price range and pay for the lot. It should about the company not getting maximum bang for your buck when it comes to the food.

I can think of nothing more guaranteed to kill a date dead than each paying for what we had. Do you mean going to the bar and getting your own drinks or having two separate bills for dinner?

Person who is asking on a first date should pay, mainly because often the asker books the table etc and i don't think thr invitee should get a shock or end up in a situation where they feel they ought to pay for a potentially out of their budget meal.

After that (and in ant situation where both agree where to go) then it should be 50/50, assuming one party isn't thr type to order very expensive dishes and expect others to subsidise their costs.

It's always nice to treat each other though.

'I can think of nothing more guaranteed to kill a date dead than each paying for what we had. Do you mean going to the bar and getting your own drinks or having two separate bills for dinner?'

And I can't think of anything worse than subbing someone's dinner and drinks by 50/50 or bill splitting when I barely know them and may never see them again. 50/50 and bill splitting is for flatmates and friends.

Whoever did the inviting pays

I would offer to pay half. If he said he wanted to pay for it all and I was going to see him again I'd let him pay. If I knew I didn't want to see him again I'd insist on paying my half.

If he had insisted paying for the meal I make sure I cover all the drinks, then I pay the next time