Have you ever heard the term split bill? Split bill is a term used when two or more people pay a single bill together. It's often used by Gen Z, especially for those on a first date.

The concept of paying the bill together on a date is different from older dating concepts, where it was typically the man who was expected to pay the entire date bill. However, the split bill concept has its own benefits! Let's check them out!

What is a split bill?

Split bill is an English term that literally means a divided or separate bill. The term is often used when two or more people pay a bill together, either using their own money for what they consumed or by splitting the total cost evenly.

For example, you take your crush out to dinner and they ask to split the bill. This means they will pay for their own food and drinks (not being treated), or they might want you to equally divide the bill that needs to be paid. For instance, you pay IDR 50,000 and they also pay IDR 50,000.

The term split bill actually has an Indonesian equivalent. According to Kompas TV, the Indonesian equivalent of split bill is patungan (pooling money). Besides patungan, you can also use the word iuran (contribution), depending on the context of the bill payment.

Benefits of splitting the bill

1. Fairness in payment

The main benefit of a split bill is fairness in payment, especially on a first date. By dividing the financial load this way, everyone pays fairly for the goods and services they consume, either by splitting the cost evenly or paying based on their individual consumption, so no one feels burdened.

2. Lightening a partner's load

Not only for first dates, but this term can also be used in a marriage, especially if the wife is also working. Paying bills by splitting the bill can help the husband or father, who is the main breadwinner, in providing for the family.

For example, the father pays for the children's school fees, daily necessities, and credit card bills. Meanwhile, the mother pays for electricity, gas, and water (PDAM) bills.

3. Minimizing discomfort

Ever heard of an ex-partner bringing up the costs they spent during the relationship? Well, splitting the bill can also minimize this from happening. By doing this, each person pays their own way during the relationship, so no party feels disadvantaged when they break up.

How to split the bill

There are many ways to implement split bills. Here are a few:

1. Dividing the bill by item type

The first way to split the bill is to pay according to the type of item. For example, you pay for the food, while your crush pays for the drinks, or you each pay for your own food and drinks, regardless of the cost.

This method is easier if you and your partner or friends order items separately. This method is also suitable for family finances, of course, with an agreement on which bills the father will pay and which bills the mother will pay.

2. Paying the bill 50:50

The second way to split the bill is to pay 50:50, or fairly based on the number of participants. For example, if there are 7 friends involved and the total bill is IDR 420,000, then everyone must contribute IDR 60,000.

This split bill method is suitable when there are many participants involved. For instance, pooling money to buy a gift for a friend's birthday, contributing to certain events, and so on.

3. Split bill online

Nowadays, pooling payments or split bills can also be done online. This can be done with or without an app. The advantage of online split bills using an app is that you don't need to manually calculate the bill per person and you can monitor which friends have paid and which haven't. However, dividing and paying bills this way usually requires your friends or partner to use the same app so it can be monitored.

As for paying and dividing the bill online without an app, you can, for example, pay the bill first with a Honest credit card, then ask your friends to pay their contributions offline or by transfer. You can then use that money to pay the Honest credit card installment before the statement date arrives.

Splitting the bill using an Honest credit card is great because it’s quite flexible. While the original total bill is already paid, you have approximately 1 month to collect contributions from your friends. Once everything is collected, you just click the pay menu in the Honest App and pay your Honest credit card bill using mobile banking.

The split bill concept is actually easy to apply in any payment context. But, so that no one gets offended, don't forget to discuss it beforehand, okay?