Tourists from Australia are being cautioned about a particular detail on restaurant receipts when visiting London–one that could transform their dining experiences into unsavoury memories.

Andrew Rodger, an Aussie tourist in London, learned that an ‘auto service charge’ of 12.5 per cent was included on his restaurant bill.

At a different establishment, he noticed something else: while service was included on the bill, it was certainly not obligatory.

Andrew Rodgers discovered during his trip to London that the 12.5% ‘auto service charge’ in restaurants is not obligatory. Image source: Yahoo News / Andrew Rodger.

Intrigued and slightly bemused, Andrew asked a waitress for clarification.

'When I asked the server, they informed me it was instead of tipping, yet they [staff] had not received any of it,' he revealed.

He was taken aback when the waitress unveiled that this practice had become more common earlier this year, often slipping under the radar of most diners.

Upon learning that this surcharge was 'optional at all venues', Andrew ensured it was promptly removed from his bill. This could be seen on the receipt at a restaurant named Wahaca in London, where the recently notorious surcharge had been changed to £0.00.

Andrew voiced his dissatisfaction that only a few restaurants inform customers about the optional surcharge on the receipt.

While checking the online menus of the two restaurants he dined in–Angus Steakhouse UK and Wahaca–he found that the 12.5 per cent fee was listed as 'discretionary' on both.

Wahaca, a restaurant in London, says that 100 per cent of tips go to their restaurant teams. Image source: Angus Steakhouse UK (left), Wahaca (right).

Although it was mentioned in small print at the bottom of the menus, Wahaca specified that 100 per cent of tips go directly to [their] restaurant teams.

Andrew decided to become a voice for unknowing diners and revealed his findings, believing that others ought not to fall victim to this trend. However, his research showed the manoeuvre wasn't just confined to London.

Several British expats residing in Australia recounted instances of having similarly surprising experiences during trips back home to other parts of the UK. Some, however, were completely oblivious to this practice.

'Wasn't happening last year, though I wasn't in London, is it just a tourist places thing?' One pondered.

‘A lot of waitress staff in the UK get less than minimum wage now as their employers claim they make it up in tips,’ said another.

While a third said: ‘Ask them to take it off and tip in cash so you know it goes to the correct person. Only if they deserve it of course.’

The minimum wage in the UK, as of April, is $20.42 AUD per hour for those aged 23 or over, $19.95 AUD for those aged between 21 and 22, $14.68 AUD for those aged between 18 and 20, and $10.35 AUD for those under 18.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the national minimum wage as of July 1 is $23.23 AUD per hour, and casual employees receive a casual loading of at least 25 per cent, as per the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Key Takeaways

• Andrew Rodger, an Australian visiting London, is warning Aussie tourists of an automatic 12.5% service charge that may be present on restaurant bills in the UK.
  
• Upon inquiry after dining out, he discovered that the charge, which he thought was a substitute for tipping, was often not even given to the staff and was optional at all venues.
  
• Andrew was unimpressed with the lack of transparency from restaurants, as only some explicitly stated on the receipt that the surcharge is optional.
  
• Online discussions with British expats in Australia reinforced the trend, with several people confirming encountering the surcharge throughout the UK.
  

Members, remember this story the next time you're dining out abroad. After all, hidden surcharges are—sadly—something we also see Down Under. You can read about one incident in this article we wrote.

That said, if you’re in the UK and notice a 'service charge' on your bill, remember Andrew’s warning that it's discretionary and can be removed.

So, what are your thoughts about this story, members? Have you ever experienced anything similar to what Andrew did? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[featherfour]

They should be paying their staff a liveable wage.

 

[MariaG]

I believe many cruise ships do the same.
No tipping they say. Just allow the charge of $??? go through and the total is divided up amongst all crew members. My friend went on a round world cruise and was charged $300 for tips.
He preferred to pay tips for service directly afforded to him. To stop the auto charge, he had to make an appointment with the purser to stop it. Kind of stock standard stuff apparently.
The holiday downer, hey.

 

[Luckyus]

Tourists from Australia are being cautioned about a particular detail on restaurant receipts when visiting London–one that could transform their dining experiences into unsavoury memories.

Andrew Rodger, an Aussie tourist in London, learned that an ‘auto service charge’ of 12.5 per cent was included on his restaurant bill.

At a different establishment, he noticed something else: while service was included on the bill, it was certainly not obligatory.

View attachment 28660

Andrew Rodgers discovered during his trip to London that the 12.5% ‘auto service charge’ in restaurants is not obligatory. Image source: Yahoo News / Andrew Rodger.

Intrigued and slightly bemused, Andrew asked a waitress for clarification.

'When I asked the server, they informed me it was instead of tipping, yet they [staff] had not received any of it,' he revealed.

He was taken aback when the waitress unveiled that this practice had become more common earlier this year, often slipping under the radar of most diners.

Upon learning that this surcharge was 'optional at all venues', Andrew ensured it was promptly removed from his bill. This could be seen on the receipt at a restaurant named Wahaca in London, where the recently notorious surcharge had been changed to £0.00.

Andrew voiced his dissatisfaction that only a few restaurants inform customers about the optional surcharge on the receipt.

While checking the online menus of the two restaurants he dined in–Angus Steakhouse UK and Wahaca–he found that the 12.5 per cent fee was listed as 'discretionary' on both.

View attachment 28661

Wahaca, a restaurant in London, says that 100 per cent of tips go to their restaurant teams. Image source: Angus Steakhouse UK (left), Wahaca (right).

Although it was mentioned in small print at the bottom of the menus, Wahaca specified that 100 per cent of tips go directly to [their] restaurant teams.

Andrew decided to become a voice for unknowing diners and revealed his findings, believing that others ought not to fall victim to this trend. However, his research showed the manoeuvre wasn't just confined to London.

Several British expats residing in Australia recounted instances of having similarly surprising experiences during trips back home to other parts of the UK. Some, however, were completely oblivious to this practice.

'Wasn't happening last year, though I wasn't in London, is it just a tourist places thing?' One pondered.

‘A lot of waitress staff in the UK get less than minimum wage now as their employers claim they make it up in tips,’ said another.

While a third said: ‘Ask them to take it off and tip in cash so you know it goes to the correct person. Only if they deserve it of course.’

The minimum wage in the UK, as of April, is $20.42 AUD per hour for those aged 23 or over, $19.95 AUD for those aged between 21 and 22, $14.68 AUD for those aged between 18 and 20, and $10.35 AUD for those under 18.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the national minimum wage as of July 1 is $23.23 AUD per hour, and casual employees receive a casual loading of at least 25 per cent, as per the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Key Takeaways

• Andrew Rodger, an Australian visiting London, is warning Aussie tourists of an automatic 12.5% service charge that may be present on restaurant bills in the UK.
• Upon inquiry after dining out, he discovered that the charge, which he thought was a substitute for tipping, was often not even given to the staff and was optional at all venues.
• Andrew was unimpressed with the lack of transparency from restaurants, as only some explicitly stated on the receipt that the surcharge is optional.
• Online discussions with British expats in Australia reinforced the trend, with several people confirming encountering the surcharge throughout the UK.

Members, remember this story the next time you're dining out abroad. After all, hidden surcharges are—sadly—something we also see Down Under. You can read about one incident in this article we wrote.

That said, if you’re in the UK and notice a 'service charge' on your bill, remember Andrew’s warning that it's discretionary and can be removed.

So, what are your thoughts about this story, members? Have you ever experienced anything similar to what Andrew did? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

They don't call it rip off Britain for nothing, I doubt I'll be going back.