History Main / InsistsOnPaying

* BritishCoppers are strictly forbidden from accepting free or even discounted goods or services on account of their position. In fact, until quite recently it was technically against the rules for them to spend money at all while on duty, but this was seldom enforced.

* Steve Carella (and, by extension, every honest cop) in the ''Literature/EightySeventhPrecinct'' novels. In one novel, he is offered theatre tickets to a hit musical and notes that as a cop you can either accept nothing that is offered to you, or everything: there is no middle ground. (He does take the tickets, but pays market price for them after first establishing that these are reserve tickets that would have been on sale to the general public before the show, so there can be no question of him being down special favours.)
* In a character-defining moment for both Thanos and Anat in the ''Literature/ShatteredTwilight'' story ''The Farmer's Wife'', Thanos leads the other priests out of an inn without paying for their stay for the night or for the food they ate, but Anat sneaks a few coins onto the table - out of Thanos' sight - before he leaves.

* On ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', Jerry's parents flat-out refuse to believe that he makes anything remotely resembling a decent amount of money as a comedian. This leads to huge arguments between Jerry and his father Morty whenever they are together, as ''both'' of them insist on paying for everything: Morty because he thinks Jerry is perpetually broke, and Jerry because he wants to prove to his parents that he is far from it.

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->'''Merchant''': "I can't take money from the king!"
->'''Edgar''': "Don't you have a family? Just shut up and take it."

-->'''Edgar:''' ''Look, don't you have a family? Just shut up and take it.''

* During a break in the fight between [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Peter and the Chicken]] the Chicken takes him out to dinner with his wife. They get into an argument over who's paying until eventually they're fighting all over again.

* Wrestling/AndreTheGiant famously refused to let anyone else pay for his meals at restaurants (given his size and appetite, they tended to be very expensive). Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger once attempted to pay behind Andre's back, but Andre caught him, picked him up, and sat him back down at the table saying "I pay."

* In one episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}''[[labelnote:Note]]"Our Father Whose Art Ain't Heaven"[[/labelnote]], Martin expresses irritation that Frasier never allows him to pay for his meals, so he insists on paying at a fancy restaurant. When Niles and Frasier both order cheap meals to be nice, he refuses to pay, at which point Frasier refuses on a similar principle and Niles realizes that he left his wallet in their taxi.

* Steve Carella (and, by extension, every honest cop) in the ''EightySeventhPrecinct'' novels. In one novel, he is offered theatre tickets to a hit musical and notes that as a cop you can either accept nothing that is offered to you, or everything: there is no middle ground. (He does take the tickets, but pays market price for them after first establishing that these are reserve tickets that would have been on sale to the general public before the show, so there can be no question of him being down special favours.)

* Subverted in ''{{Friends}}'', where Monica ''does'' accept free steaks (and an eggplant) from the new meat suppliers to the restaurant where she works, considering them a gift. She ends up being fired over it, since the owners of the restaurant wrongly interpreted it as a bribe (Monica had been recently promoted to a job which included selecting the meat supplier).
* In one episode of ''{{Frasier}}''[[labelnote:Note]]"Our Father Whose Art Ain't Heaven"[[/labelnote]], Martin expresses irritation that Frasier never allows him to pay for his meals, so he insists on paying at a fancy restaurant. When Niles and Frasier both order cheap meals to be nice, he refuses to pay, at which point Frasier refuses on a similar principle and Niles realizes that he left his wallet in their taxi.
* In ''TheWestWing'', Mrs. Landingham pays full sticker price for her new car, much to the dismay of her coworkers and boss.

* Humorous subversion from ''{{Persona 3}}'': In one of the Social Link scenes for [[{{Ojou}} Mitsuru Kirijo]], she offers to pay for lunch... and is then flustered when she discovers the food stand from which you are buying doesn't accept credit cards, meaning you have to pay anyway.

Examples:

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* During a break in the fight between [[FamilyGuy Peter and the Chicken]] the Chicken takes him out to dinner with his wife. They get into an argument over who's paying until eventually they're fighting all over again.

* Subverted with Edgar in ''FinalFantasyVI''. If you put him at the head of the party and then visit a shop in Figaro, the merchants will say that they don't feel they should charge the King money if he needs something. Edgar will insist on paying anyway, but they will give him a half-price discount.

* Steve Carella (and, by extension, every honest cop) in the ''EightySeventhPrecinct'' novels. In one novel, he is offered theatre tickets to a hit musical and notes that as cop you can either accept nothing that is offered to you, or everything: there is no middle ground. (He does take the tickets, but pays market price for them after first establishing that these are reserve tickets that would have been on sale to the general public before the show, so there can be no question of him being down special favours.)

* Subverted with Edgar in ''FinalFantasyVI''. If you put him at the head of the party and then visit a shop in Figaro, the merchants will say that they don't feel they should charge the King money if he needs something. Edgar will insist on paying anyway, but they will give him a half-price discount.
-->'''Edgar:''' ''Look, don't you have a family? Just shut up and take it.''
* Humorous subversion from ''{{Persona 3}}'': In one of the Social Link scenes for [[{{Ojou}} Mitsuru Kirijo]], she offers to pay for lunch... and is then flustered when she discovers the food stand from which you are buying doesn't accept credit cards, meaning you have to pay anyway.

* Subverted in ''{{Friends}}'', where Monica ''does'' accept free steaks (and an eggplant) from the new meat suppliers to the restaurant where she works, considering them a gift. She ends up being fired over it, since the owners of the restaurant wrongly interpreted it as a bribe (Monica had been recently promoted to a job which included selecting the meat supplier).

* An old Little Caesar's ad from years ago, back when they were offering a free pizza with a purchased one, had a Boy Scout troop master insisting on paying for the freebie pizza, when ordering for his troop. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity ensued]].

* Captain Carrot of ''{{Discworld}}'' does this. Subverted in that they only offer him free stuff because they know he'll refuse.

* Subverted in ''{{Friends}}'', where Monica ''does'' accept free steaks (and an eggplant) from the new meat suppliers to the restaurant where she works, considering them a gift. She ends up being fired over it, since the owners of the restaurant wrongly interpreted it as a bribe (Monica had been recently promoted to a job which included selecting the meat supplier).
* In the short story ''Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones'', "Singers" are people with very special talents who are known world wide. There are only about 20 or so in the world. Hawk the Singer always attempts to pay for things before someone just gives it to him. He explains to the protagonist that the day he stops attempting to pay or stops acting surprised at getting something for free is the day he will have to start paying.

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* Partly subverted with Edgar in ''FinalFantasyVI''. If you put him at the head of the party and then visit a shop in Figaro, the merchants will say that they don't feel they should charge the King money if he needs something. Edgar will insist on paying anyway, but they will give him a half-price discount.

* Humorous subversion from ''{{Persona}} 3'': In one of the Social Link scenes for [[{{Ojou}} Mitsuru Kirijo]], she offers to pay for lunch... and is then flustered when she discovers the food stand from which you are buying doesn't accept credit cards, meaning you have to pay anyway.

* Partly subverted with Edgar in ''FinalFantasyVI'', who insists on paying but only needs to cough up half the price.