The Aussie pub ‘shout’ is drying up as drinkers ditch rounds for QR codes and budgeting
The age-old Aussie pub tradition of shouting your mates a round continues to decline, with new data showing punters skipping the shout in favour of paying for their own drinks.
Rising living costs and a shift towards more mindful spending have made the generous gesture of buying for the whole table a financial stretch — especially when a single round can now cost upwards of A$100.
A new report from Tyro Payments, based on over 30 million orders and feedback from more than 1,000 Australians, shows 49% of people have changed their drinking habits due to cost pressures. One in 10 have stopped drinking alcohol altogether.
Notably, Australians are now 35% less likely to buy rounds than they were just a year ago. Instead, punters are embracing QR code ordering — not just for convenience, but to avoid the awkward politics of who’s shouting next.
Millennials are leading the charge, with 42% admitting they order via QR code to sidestep the shout. They’re closely followed by Gen Z (38%), Gen X (37%) and Baby Boomers (33%).
Even pub owners are seeing the shift firsthand. Brian Sarkis, general manager of Sydney’s ArtHouse Hotel and co-owner of East Village Hotel in Darlinghurst, said the change is clear.
“At East Village, we mainly see customers buy individual drinks when they’re with a group of friends,” he told news.com.au. “Even for birthdays or celebrations, they are more likely to just buy the birthday person a drink rather than shout the whole table.”
Sarkis said patrons are still socialising, but with more caution.
“Buying a round for six people in today’s market, that’s a big hit to the wallet. The whole ‘shouting’ thing has pretty much disappeared,” he said.
“The QR system has eliminated both the generosity and the guilt of round-buying. No one has to be the generous one, but no one has to be the tight one either. Buying someone a drink used to be a gesture, now it’s just more efficient to order your own.”
He added that customers are approaching nights out with strict budgets.
“They’ll calculate exactly what they want to spend before they even sit down,” he said. “The days of ‘let’s see how the night goes’ spending are pretty much over. People have a budget and they stick to it.”
Jonathan Jackson, 1st July 2025
