I'm feeling somewhat guilty....

Not sure how I'd react but maybe he was trying to impress the young and pretty assistant

I think he paid as a kindness gesture, and would have paid regardless of your age. The idea is to buy a coffee/pay next customer to make their day. It also feels good to make soemones day when there are lots of stressed people.

I agree he was probably trying to impress the assistant with his generosity. I know how you must have felt but perhaps look at it that you have done him a favour by letting him show off.

why question such a kind, generous gesture? smile and say thankyou..

Perhaps he thought he'd kept you waiting unnecessarily and it was an apology. Plus, as eddiecat suggested, perhaps it was to impress the young lady.

Either way, or both ways, it wasn't about you except indirectly. Please don't feel insulted.

I agree that it was a kind gesture. I would probably feel much the same as you though if it happened out of the blue like that. The young man would probably feel mortified if he knew how he had made you feel. If you can, accept it as a kindness that you were due, and pay it on to someone else.

I think that was kind, immaterial of your age or looks, and yes it may have been done to impress the assistant, who knows? but no you shouldn’t feel offended, just accept the kindness and pass it on

My initial thought is you are reading too much into this. He sounds like a kind young man who was feeling generous and yes, possibly trying to impress the young sales woman. I'd guess he did so on a whim and has probably done this before.
I've been treated like this once with a fancy coffee drink I'd ordered and I felt a bit funny about it but in a very good way, like a little blessing had just popped onto me. I thanked them and, like you've said, I passed it on later. It's a nice reminder that there is still goodness in the world.

It appears it was simply an act of kindness, but I would also feel slightly uncomfortable under the circumstances. Perhaps something to just pass on, to help our world be a friendlier place.. which it certainly needs to be.

there is a thing in the usa called pay it forward, you do something nice for someone and hand them a card or bit of paper and say pay it forward, also a number of youtube videos of, one is someone going into a grocery store and going up to a checkout and saying, i will pay for that, another is a young guy who helps people on the streets and asks them what they need, some it is shoes or a sleeping bag. op take it as a nice friendly gesture and if it makes you feel better go to the supermarket and buy some items for the nearest foodbank.

I am with the OP, I would feel uncomfortable. Howeve kind the gesture and whether he was tryingto impress the assistant or not, there is something patronising and self-regarding about the gesture. paying an old dears bill, poor old thing she probably only has state pension and will be grateful for it.

Plus seeing you as someone with no status as a person, just a stereotype he can patronise, look good in front of the assistant and walk off with a warm feeling of virtue at very little price.

I was going to suggest the same as nexus63 it is 'pay it forward' thinking. The idea is to do a good turn for someone, or pay for small items with the aim being that the person will feel good about it and do the same for someone else. I'm sure he'd be very upset to think he'd made you feel guilty chicken.

Yes, I did thank him and, yes, I shall pay it on but I still wish it had been for someone who needed help. I'm comfortably off, live in a lovely house and don't want for anything so am in a very privileged position and certainly don't need handouts.

As someone said earlier, he was trying to impress the pretty shop assistant

I would probably feel like you, chicken and for the same reason, that I am lucky enough not to need help, but IMO you should regard it as a kind act to pay forward. After all, he might have been feeling happy in being able to pay forward something that someone had done for him! If you feel that you have been given something you don’t need, why not make 2 different forward payments? As NanaDana says, the world needs to be a friendlier place!

It's a thing, people do it and post it in the internet. It probably wasnt to do with your age

My SiL had her bus fare paid one day by a young man getting on at the same time. He just said to the driver 'I'll get that' and gave her a big smile. Her immediate reaction was 'Why???? I don't know you' and he just smiled and said 'I'm having a good day. Hope you do too'. She remembered her manners enough to say 'Thank you. That was kind' but was so bewildered she spent her whole 35 minute bus ride phoning everyone to tell us about it. Hopefully no where near the man and his girlfriend. She doesn't look like she needs help either, one of the best dressed people I know and would only have been mid 50s then and looked younger.

Recently in a local supermarket a customer asked the assistant to leave the tub of ice cream to last , at the end the customer asked not to purchase the tub of ice cream as he didn't have enough money . My natural instinct was to say I'll buy it , which I did . A happy smiling customer on a really hot day , a staff member who was chuffed and myself who felt happy to have helped someone . All in all a nice feeling .

I was on a bus recently and someone didn't have the fare. Loads of people, including myself, offered to pay. It was lovely, was smiling. This is what life is about isn't it?
Helping each other.. maybe you didn't need it.. but you can certainly help others who do..

Post how you feel on local facebook. I guess people haven;t realised people may take offence

Why should anyone take offence? Sometimes people are just nice, and we don’t always have to be looking for evil intent.

I think you are reading too much into it,you just encountered a very kind young man..🤓

Our Ukrainian mum and her two children were waiting in an ice cream queue. My DH and I chatted to someone we knew ahead of them in the queue. We went off home and when our Ukrainian mum went to pay she was told the ice creams were already paid for by this guy we know from U3A. Such kindnesses do warm your heart.

I would have accepted graciously but....wish it hadn't happened.