Are the Dutch really so Dutch when it comes to splitting the bill?
In English, the term ‘going Dutch’ is used to indicate that the bill is split. And honestly, there’s sometimes a slightly negative connotation to it, because the reputation of Dutch people is that they can also be stingy. There has even been very specific research into it: share or pay up? Read on to see which group you belong to:
Since Tikkie became a thing, splitting the bill has become a lot easier. Although in our opinion the service is sometimes misused (for example, charging someone for the mayonnaise for a portion of fries), it is certainly a handy tool for the habits and preferences of the average Dutch person when it comes to sharing the bill.
Majority pays only for themselves
The platform time2play surveyed 600 Dutch people about their payment habits in company. And what did they find? 66% of Dutch people live up to the stereotype and pay only for themselves when in a group. No less than 55% of them would also like to see the amounts calculated down to the cappuccino: they pay only for the costs they themselves incurred.
Fairly, we’ll share everything
45% take a slightly different approach to splitting the bill: they divide it equally by the number of people. When people split the bill, they generally do so with fairness in mind – at least that’s how 63% see it. 15% of respondents prefer to share the bill in order to save money.
Top five situations in which the bill is shared
When it comes to a date, Dutch people are somewhat more generous. When asked in which type of company the bill is shared most often, ‘dates’ came in fifth place. The top five situations in which the calculator comes out looks like this:
1. friends
2. colleagues
3. neighbours
4. family
5. dates
By the way, 12% of respondents say they never pay for anyone else at all. What do you think: in which situation are you generous, and when are you not? And are you curious about the full study? You can read it here.
Read also:
- How do you experience dining out in 2022 when the bill arrives?
- Why you should never go out to dinner on your first date
- Going out to eat alone should be much more normal
