FOUR-in-10 adults who collect credit card points would happily pay a bigger share of a restaurant bill – just to snaffle the rewards.
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.
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One in five will secretly pay the bill under the radar, 26% will negotiate and 18% will simply beg to claim the rewards.
It also emerged 83% 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 £28million across this season.
A spokesperson for rewards credit card Yonder which commissioned the research, said: “You could be quite literally leaving points on the table.
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“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 cause 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 solve confusion over the splitting of bills.
The Snatcher is confident in their abilities and isn’t afraid to take risks to be the first to secure rewards points.
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They are usually the one grabbing the card machine before anyone else has time to react.
While the Timelord will offer to pay to keep things on schedule, and the Negotiator can often be found paying a group bill thanks to their powers of persuasion.
Following this, a quiz has been launched so you can identify your personality type.
The survey results also found 13% have fallen out with a friend or family member after earning points on a group bill.
And 39% think about their accumulating points at least once a week, with 37% claiming to have a reputation among pals as the one who always volunteers to pay.
Yonder’s spokesperson 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.”
