Are you paying together or separately?
'Separatamente' — se-pa-ra-ta-MEN-te. Six syllables.
This is what a waiter or cashier will ask when you are in a group. Know the answer in advance — either 'insieme' (together) or 'separatamente' (separately) or 'ognuno per sé' (each their own).
'Pagate' — second-person plural (you all pay). 'Insieme' = together. 'Separatamente' = separately. Splitting bills in Italy is perfectly acceptable but was historically less common than in northern Europe. Today, especially in cities, splitting is routine.
Pago io per tutti.
I'll pay for everyone.
You are treating the group.
Facciamo alla romana.
Let's split it evenly.
'Alla romana' = Dutch/equal split — a common Italian idiom.
Ognuno paga per sé.
Everyone pays for themselves.
Explicit separate payment.
'Fare alla romana' (splitting a bill equally) is common among friends in Italy. However, treating ('offrire') is also an important social gesture — Italians often take turns to treat each other across multiple occasions rather than splitting every time.