How to Ask Someone to Pay for Their Half of the Dinner Bill

Going out to dinner with friends, co-workers and family is a favorite pastime for many people. Eating out at a restaurant can mean good times and great conversation, with the added benefit of having someone else cook and serve the food. Unfortunately, trouble can arise when it comes time to pay the bill. If you want to cover just your portion of the bill and avoid paying for everyone else's drinks, meal and dessert, you need to take a firm stand.

• 1

  Discuss paying for the dinner bill as soon as you sit down at the table, before ordering with the waiter. Politely ask your party if they would like to divide the bill by individual meals or if they would prefer to split the check evenly at the end of the meal. This will open the door for discussion, and you and your party can decide how to pay from there.

• 2

  Be firm during the discussion. State clearly but politely that you would like to pay for your own check and that you feel everyone should do this as well.

• 3

  Ask the waiter to split the check between groups or individuals when he comes to your table to take your order. The waiter is more likely to accommodate you if you ask beforehand and not after he has started a check for your table.

• 4

  Pay your individual check when it arrives if the waiter agreed to split the bill.

• 5

  If the waiter was unwilling to split the bill for you, ask your party if they would like you to split the bill evenly or calculate everyone's individual total.

• 6

  Use your calculator to divide the bill evenly or individually, depending on what your party decided.

• 7

  Pay your portion of the bill.