Age of equality: Who pays on the first date?

More than half of British women pay for themselves on a first date, even though men still want to pay, according to a survey on Monday.

A poll of 1,924 adults for online bank First Direct found that 58% of women expect to split the bill on a first date, double the proportion of men (29%).

Additionally, 14% of women think it should be whoever suggested the date. Only a quarter of women said that they thought men should pay for a first date, while three percent said they themselves should foot the bill, suggesting that women feel they should not be beholden to men, but that men should also pay their way.

Male respondents on the other hand believed that chivalry isn't dead, with 55% expecting to pay the full bill on a first date, and men spending an average of 65 pounds ($104) on a first date compared to women who spend 50 pounds.

Shouldering not just the financial burden but also the organisational responsibility, more than nine in 10 males (94%) said they would organise the first date, compared with just 65% of women.

Highlighting the financial considerations behind dating, 38% of people would use discount vouchers on a first date, a figure slightly higher for men (41%) than women (36%%).

"As we approach the wedding season, the couple on everyone's lips is Kate Middleton and Prince William," first direct senior savings product manager Richard Brown said in a statement. "It would be fascinating to know if they split the bill or if William paid and pulled out a discount voucher on their first date."