First Date Payments: 77.00% of Women Say 'Splitting the Bill is Acceptable', Top Reason is 'Wanting Equality', While 'Calculating Down to the Yen' is the Most Cited 'NG' Behavior (Survey by HappyMail)

HappyMail, a matching and dating service with 35 million cumulative members operated by Ivec Inc. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture), conducted a survey among 100 adult women regarding 'first date payments.'

The survey collected data on the acceptability of splitting the bill on a first date, the reasons behind their stance, and behaviors to avoid during payment, revealing women's honest opinions and the key factors that influence their evaluation.

1. 77.00% find splitting the bill acceptable on a first date When asked if splitting the bill is acceptable on a first date, 77 respondents (77.00%) answered 'yes,' making it the majority. 'No' remained at 23 respondents (23.00%).

2. The main reasons for 'Acceptable' are 'Equality' and 'Consideration' Among the 77 women who answered 'acceptable,' the most common reason was 'I want to maintain an equal relationship' (34 respondents), followed by 'I don't want to make the other person feel pressured' (29 respondents). This shows that the decision is rooted in a focus on the balance of their relationship rather than financial issues.

3. The reason for 'Not Acceptable' is the expectation for the man to lead Among the 23 women who answered 'not acceptable,' the most common reason was 'I want them to pay smartly for at least the first date' (16 respondents). There is a tendency to value the 'attitude of taking the lead' or 'smartness' over the payment itself.

4. The most avoided payment behavior is 'Calculating down to the exact yen' When asked about behaviors to avoid during payment, 'splitting the bill down to the exact yen' was the top answer (40 respondents), followed by 'making condescending comments' (34 respondents) and 'complaining about the price after paying' (21 respondents). While splitting the bill itself is accepted, impressions are heavily influenced by the 'manner of payment' and 'remarks.'

Detailed survey results are available on the special page below: https://happymail.co.jp/happylife/koikatsu/split-bill-date/