There's A Right Way To Split A Check At A Restaurant

It's 8 p.m. and everyone's stuffed after appetizers, cocktails, entrees, and desserts. But after you've wined, dined, and experienced how the restaurant atmosphere makes food literally taste better, it's time for the dreaded splitting of the check. You look around nervously, waiting for someone else to take the lead, but the truth is it's already too late. At this point, you might be able to divvy up the cost with a gracious server, but the best way to split a check is to inform your server before you order anything.

By communicating the way checks will be split at the beginning of the evening, your server can keep everything organized for later. This also allows diners to discuss who will be paying for what. Maybe you want the bruschetta appetizer and offer to get one for the table, or maybe you and another guest want to split the Philly cheesesteak-style sliders. Either way, communicating beforehand can make things much easier for everyone.

As an important note, you probably shouldn't be paying with more than four cards. Servers are already tending to more than one table and multiple cards mean more time checking out, more stress and pressure on the server, and more room for error. This extra time spent running other cards also backs up other servers, and therefore the kitchen. So try to keep the payment methods to the least amount necessary.

It's easier than ever to split checks without needing your server at all with digital payments even becoming one of the accepted rules of fine-dining etiquette. With this kind of technology at our fingertips, if someone offers to cover the full bill, everyone else could then send that person their portion afterwards — or right in the moment.

Regardless of how you split it, you never want to forget to factor in the tax and the tip. Tax can add up, especially on a large bill, so be sure to split any extra fees to ensure no one person is left paying more than their share. Of course, tips are crucial so make sure the server is properly compensated. You'll also need to consider what everyone bought when deciding how to split the bill. Many people divide the cost based on what each person ordered, but if that isn't the table vibe, pay attention to larger items like appetizers and alcohol so that someone who abstains isn't chipping in toward someone else's four glasses of wine. Keep it simple by communicating beforehand on what you'll do with the bill to prevent awkward conversations at the end of the night.