In many restaurants in Belgium, it is not possible to split the bill when dining in company, as the owners insist on having one bill per table. While they are legally allowed to do this, it should be communicated clearly in advance.
When eating out with friends or family, the restaurant sometimes allows only one bill per table. Then people start puzzling: who pays the total bill? How does everyone pay each other back? Does everyone pay their own share, or is the bill divided equally?
"Restaurant owners may ask their customers to pay the whole bill at once, but they must communicate this clearly on the menu or verbally in advance," Matthias De Caluwé of the Horeca Vlaanderen hospitality association told VRT.
Each restaurant can decide for themselves whether the bill can be split or not. For them, this often takes extra time – especially when it concerns a large group – that they could invest in other things, such as helping other customers.
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Some establishments have stopped giving clients a receipt after they have payed, which also makes splitting the cost extra difficult. "This should not actually be allowed, because owners are obliged to give a valid cash receipt. Customers are always entitled to a final VAT receipt, and it is important that they receive it."
"If you do not get it right away, you should ask for it and then the manager will certainly be able to give it to you," said De Caluwé.
