The Rise of Paying Hosts: A New Swiss Trend

A new trend is apparently taking on in Switzerland: Making your friends pay, like in a restaurant, when they visit you. Hosts apparently charge for food and drink, but also for use of the bathroom. And in another example a woman invited her sister with partner to attend a Christmas dinner at her place, then charging at the end the of the evening. As the guests report it: cost of the evening 200 Swiss Francs minus one sister.

Traditional Swiss hospitality involves inviting guests over without expecting payment. However, the rise of the sharing economy and platforms like EatWith and AirDine have introduced new dynamics. These platforms, popular in the urban areas of Asia, Europe and the USA allow individuals to host meals in their homes for a fee, blurring the lines between professional services and personal hospitality.

In many English-speaking cultures, especially informal ones like in New Zealand or Canada, cost-sharing at social events is quite common such as Potluck dinners and BYO (Bring YouOwn) to bill splitting popular with young and cost conscious people. In Japan, even close friends often split the bill when eating out, and home gatherings are rare due to small living spaces. When they do happen, the host might be expected to cover costs—but increasingly, guests contribute cash envelopes (goshugi) or bring high-quality gifts.

In places like Nigeria, informal economies often mean group gatherings (like naming ceremonies, housewarmings, etc.) are funded collectively. “Vaquinha” is Brazilian slang for a pooled collection of money among friends—for a barbecue, trip, or birthday. If someone hosts a party, guests might be asked to chip in for meat or drinks.

Splitting costs in general seems to become more popular, not least in big cities where rising costs of living and inflation take their toll on household budgets.

Having given it some thought, there are other areas this practice of charging for service could be extended to! Take transport: Offering a lift to a friend or relative, once considered a simple courtesy, could evolve into an expectation of cost-sharing or reimbursement. While petrol money is already commonly offered for longer journeys, such arrangements may become more formalised, even for local travel, particularly in cities where owning and running a vehicle is expensive. The ubiquity of mobile payment apps makes these exchanges more convenient and less socially awkward. Soccer mums could charge their offspring, which would have the added benefit of showing the kids that providing such services is associated with costs. Work colleagues could share the expense of car pooling.

Organising social events such as birthday parties, reunions, or holiday meals may also move in this direction. Hosts often invest considerable time, effort, and money into planning and delivering these gatherings. As expectations rise, there may be greater acceptance of guests contributing not just financially, but also towards labour and logistics. With several friends, when we arrange a larger get together, we all bring a main course, desert or drinks and so the burden falls not only on the host alone.

What this trend clearly shows though is that for whatever reason we’re less inclined to help someone out of sheer altruism. Not that we’re out to make a profit, but we expect that the cost of our kindness is met. We’re happy to be kind as long as it doesn’t leave us out of pocket.

The global thread is pragmatism in response to economic conditions and evolving social dynamics. While traditional hospitality often discourages charging guests, modern realities – especially in younger, urban, or economically strained populations – are rewriting the rules, often blending hospitality and practicality.

So you’re welcome at my place anytime, I’ll be delighted to feed and water you and keep you entertained – and take your cash at the end of the evening. And just so you don’t have to ask: No, I don’t accept card payments, it’s cash only, but on the upside you won’t have to tip me either. And I am thinking about launching a loyalty scheme: better friends, who obviously visit more often, may get every tenth visit for free.