Four in 10 adults who collect credit card points would happily pay a bigger share of a restaurant bill – just to snaffle the rewards, research has found. A poll of 1,000 adults, who use rewards credit cards, found a third are willing to argue with a friend over who gets the points.
One in five will secretly pay the bill under the radar, while 26 percent will negotiate – and 18 percent will simply beg to claim the rewards.
It also emerged 83 percent are planning to attend at least two group meals in the run-up to Christmas this year. And with a meal out now costing an average of £53 per head, potential earnings from group meals out alone stand at £28 million across this season.
A spokesman for rewards credit card, Yonder, which commissioned the research, said: “You could be quite literally leaving points on the table.
“We’ve crunched the numbers this party season, and found if you are planning festive meals out – and you trust your pals to pay you back – footing the bill can be a really smart idea, as long as it doesn’t provoke any dramas.”
The brand has grouped different types of points-enthusiasts into personality types, including the “Sneak” – a vigilant opportunist who is most likely to pay the bill under the radar, often before the other members of the party have noticed.
The “Hero” is known as the “fixer” of the group – generally community-oriented, and a great team player – who is often found jumping in to resolve confusion over the splitting of bills.
And The “Snatcher” is confident in their abilities, and isn’t afraid to take risks to be the first to ensure rewards points. They are usually the one grabbing the card machine before anyone else has time to react.
Meanwhile, the “Timelord” will offer to pay to keep things on arrange, and the “Negotiator” can often be found paying a group bill thanks to their powers of persuasion. To help you recognize which personality type you fall into, this quiz has been launched by Yonder.
The survey results also found 13 percent have fallen out with a friend or family member after earning points on a group bill.
And 39 percent think about their accumulating points at least once a week – with 37 percent claiming to have a reputation among pals as the one who always volunteers to pay.
Yonder’s spokesman added: “Being smart with credit card use is a great way to pick up some of the benefits they offer. It’s important to make sure you’re only picking up bills or buying things you can afford, or else the points really aren’t worth it.
“But with this December having five full weekends – a rarity – it is a great opportunity for points-hunters to max out their gains.”
