We’ve all been there… you dine out with a group of friends, share some great food and conversation, and then comes the moment of truth when the bill arrives.

Whether you divvy it up evenly or somebody gets stuck with the bill, you go to settle it up at the counter – only to find that there’s an extra service charge added on top of what was listed on the menu.

This can come as a pretty nasty surprise – especially if you’re not expecting it – which is why one Aussie diner decided to call out this infuriating restaurant trend on social media.

Sharing a photo of the receipt, the customer wrote: 'Shameless service charge (and no notification on the menu) in font half the size.'

It was claimed that the diner was not notified about the ‘surcharge’ and this extra $48 was added to the bill in a tiny font, making the eatery appear as ‘shady’ as possible.

The diner claimed that they were surprised to spot the surcharge on their receipt. Credit: Reddit.​

While the particular restaurant’s website does mention that groups of six or more will be charged an additional 10 per cent as a service charge, the diner questioned its motives as there was no reference to the said ‘surcharge’ on the menu.

Several fellow diners shared the same sentiments, taking to the social media platform with their grievances.

One user called out the restaurant for their 'sneaky' tactics, writing: 'Are the ‘service charges’ just a non-optional rebranding of tipping?'

'Like, I was under the impression that the cost of service was included in the price of the food and was thus why we don’t tip in Australia… But everyone and their dog seems to be doing it lately.'

'It is a growing trend. We need to ask before we order. I got slugged with an unknown service charge at a restaurant in Westfield Sydney this week. The waiter couldn't explain what it was for but it was obviously a forced tip,' another added.

A third chimed in: ‘And there is a spot to leave a tip… Unbelievable.’

'Yeah, that sh** is not on! It 100% has to be on the menu. I’d report it to the ACCC,' another recommended.

It was observed that there are actually two types of service charges – one where the money is distributed to the wait staff and another where the surcharge is added to the ‘table charge’ or the inclusive cost of the meals.

Some former restaurant employees tried to explain the system behind the tips. Credit: iStock.​

In response to the rants, several users who claimed to be former waiters descended on the thread, saying that the extra charge was fair for restaurants.

'Depending on the situation, this is fair IMO [in my opinion]. Working in the restaurants at Rosehill and Randwick Racecourses, we’d have two to four bartenders doing all the drinks for the 20-30 tables while the waitstaff only has a couple of tables each,' one wrote.

Another explained: 'Everything just went on to the table charge, and this could be a lot of drinks as there was a beverage package per head. Tips were pooled and split between all the staff, although sometimes waiters were tipped cash separately. All the tips were passed on to the staff though.'

Tipping is not usually a custom in Australian culture and is rather an adapted American practice.

In the U.S., it is customary to tip service workers such as waiters, bartenders, hairdressers, and valets. While tipping is not required in Australia, it is becoming more common, especially in major cities.

It seems that every day, another aspect of American culture is slowly creeping into Australian society. From the way we dress to the way we speak, it seems someday soon it’ll become difficult to tell the two cultures apart.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think adding a surcharge without informing customers is OK? Share them with us in the comments below!

 

[Rainy]

We’ve all been there… you dine out with a group of friends, share some great food and conversation, and then comes the moment of truth when the bill arrives.

Whether you divvy it up evenly or somebody gets stuck with the bill, you go to settle it up at the counter – only to find that there’s an extra service charge added on top of what was listed on the menu.

This can come as a pretty nasty surprise – especially if you’re not expecting it – which is why one Aussie diner decided to call out this infuriating restaurant trend on social media.

Sharing a photo of the receipt, the customer wrote: 'Shameless service charge (and no notification on the menu) in font half the size.'

It was claimed that the diner was not notified about the ‘surcharge’ and this extra $48 was added to the bill in a tiny font, making the eatery appear as ‘shady’ as possible.

The diner claimed that they were surprised to spot the surcharge on their receipt. Credit: Reddit.​

While the particular restaurant’s website does mention that groups of six or more will be charged an additional 10 per cent as a service charge, the diner questioned its motives as there was no reference to the said ‘surcharge’ on the menu.

Several fellow diners shared the same sentiments, taking to the social media platform with their grievances.

One user called out the restaurant for their 'sneaky' tactics, writing: 'Are the ‘service charges’ just a non-optional rebranding of tipping?'

'Like, I was under the impression that the cost of service was included in the price of the food and was thus why we don’t tip in Australia… But everyone and their dog seems to be doing it lately.'

'It is a growing trend. We need to ask before we order. I got slugged with an unknown service charge at a restaurant in Westfield Sydney this week. The waiter couldn't explain what it was for but it was obviously a forced tip,' another added.

A third chimed in: ‘And there is a spot to leave a tip… Unbelievable.’

'Yeah, that sh** is not on! It 100% has to be on the menu. I’d report it to the ACCC,' another recommended.

It was observed that there are actually two types of service charges – one where the money is distributed to the wait staff and another where the surcharge is added to the ‘table charge’ or the inclusive cost of the meals.

Some former restaurant employees tried to explain the system behind the tips. Credit: iStock.​

In response to the rants, several users who claimed to be former waiters descended on the thread, saying that the extra charge was fair for restaurants.

'Depending on the situation, this is fair IMO [in my opinion]. Working in the restaurants at Rosehill and Randwick Racecourses, we’d have two to four bartenders doing all the drinks for the 20-30 tables while the waitstaff only has a couple of tables each,' one wrote.

Another explained: 'Everything just went on to the table charge, and this could be a lot of drinks as there was a beverage package per head. Tips were pooled and split between all the staff, although sometimes waiters were tipped cash separately. All the tips were passed on to the staff though.'

Tipping is not usually a custom in Australian culture and is rather an adapted American practice.

In the U.S., it is customary to tip service workers such as waiters, bartenders, hairdressers, and valets. While tipping is not required in Australia, it is becoming more common, especially in major cities.

It seems that every day, another aspect of American culture is slowly creeping into Australian society. From the way we dress to the way we speak, it seems someday soon it’ll become difficult to tell the two cultures apart.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think adding a surcharge without informing customers is OK? Share them with us

We’ve all been there… you dine out with a group of friends, share some great food and conversation, and then comes the moment of truth when the bill arrives.

Whether you divvy it up evenly or somebody gets stuck with the bill, you go to settle it up at the counter – only to find that there’s an extra service charge added on top of what was listed on the menu.

This can come as a pretty nasty surprise – especially if you’re not expecting it – which is why one Aussie diner decided to call out this infuriating restaurant trend on social media.

Sharing a photo of the receipt, the customer wrote: 'Shameless service charge (and no notification on the menu) in font half the size.'

It was claimed that the diner was not notified about the ‘surcharge’ and this extra $48 was added to the bill in a tiny font, making the eatery appear as ‘shady’ as possible.

The diner claimed that they were surprised to spot the surcharge on their receipt. Credit: Reddit.​

While the particular restaurant’s website does mention that groups of six or more will be charged an additional 10 per cent as a service charge, the diner questioned its motives as there was no reference to the said ‘surcharge’ on the menu.

Several fellow diners shared the same sentiments, taking to the social media platform with their grievances.

One user called out the restaurant for their 'sneaky' tactics, writing: 'Are the ‘service charges’ just a non-optional rebranding of tipping?'

'Like, I was under the impression that the cost of service was included in the price of the food and was thus why we don’t tip in Australia… But everyone and their dog seems to be doing it lately.'

'It is a growing trend. We need to ask before we order. I got slugged with an unknown service charge at a restaurant in Westfield Sydney this week. The waiter couldn't explain what it was for but it was obviously a forced tip,' another added.

A third chimed in: ‘And there is a spot to leave a tip… Unbelievable.’

'Yeah, that sh** is not on! It 100% has to be on the menu. I’d report it to the ACCC,' another recommended.

It was observed that there are actually two types of service charges – one where the money is distributed to the wait staff and another where the surcharge is added to the ‘table charge’ or the inclusive cost of the meals.

Some former restaurant employees tried to explain the system behind the tips. Credit: iStock.​

In response to the rants, several users who claimed to be former waiters descended on the thread, saying that the extra charge was fair for restaurants.

'Depending on the situation, this is fair IMO [in my opinion]. Working in the restaurants at Rosehill and Randwick Racecourses, we’d have two to four bartenders doing all the drinks for the 20-30 tables while the waitstaff only has a couple of tables each,' one wrote.

Another explained: 'Everything just went on to the table charge, and this could be a lot of drinks as there was a beverage package per head. Tips were pooled and split between all the staff, although sometimes waiters were tipped cash separately. All the tips were passed on to the staff though.'

Tipping is not usually a custom in Australian culture and is rather an adapted American practice.

In the U.S., it is customary to tip service workers such as waiters, bartenders, hairdressers, and valets. While tipping is not required in Australia, it is becoming more common, especially in major cities.

It seems that every day, another aspect of American culture is slowly creeping into Australian society. From the way we dress to the way we speak, it seems someday soon it’ll become difficult to tell the two cultures apart.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think adding a surcharge without informing customers is OK? Share them with us in the comments below!

Adding surcharge not okay. Foreign influence partly a result of an inherent cultural cringe of sorts. Having a love hate relationship with America based upon lame stream media representations doesn't help. Going up the food chain corporate influence paves the way for local business take over, further undermining sense of community. Then factor in the plethora of lawyers gatekeeping this phenomenon - we have to buy a Rupert Murdoch owned newspaper just to find out if we are still in Australia.

 

[Marie O’Connor]

This is unacceptabl. What happens if you only have enough in the bank to cover the bill minus the surcharge. The staff get paid and this is just money grabbing at the highest level. The restaurant should have a sign clearly displayed saying they charge a 10% surcharge for group bookings. Then people are aware of the extra amount they need to pay. We have been American for many years now much to my disgust. Celebrating Halloween, all the different American foods and food places that are taking over, the American words that have crept in. We are losing our Australian culture to become recycled Yanks

FYI Halloween is Irish

 

[Retiree46]

The wage in the Hospitality Industry in the USA rely on Tipping to boost their wage, where in Australia the wage is at a greater level, therefore we should not have to TIP in Australia but if the individual wants to TIP for good service it should be voluntary.

 

[DrivingGirl]

The cost of the food is on the menu and all sundry costs should be explained up front by the wait staff , before you order!
No way should you be expected to scan the small print on a menu or visit the website to see if there are any additional charges. American or not it’s deceitful

 

[PHW]

We’ve all been there… you dine out with a group of friends, share some great food and conversation, and then comes the moment of truth when the bill arrives.

Whether you divvy it up evenly or somebody gets stuck with the bill, you go to settle it up at the counter – only to find that there’s an extra service charge added on top of what was listed on the menu.

This can come as a pretty nasty surprise – especially if you’re not expecting it – which is why one Aussie diner decided to call out this infuriating restaurant trend on social media.

Sharing a photo of the receipt, the customer wrote: 'Shameless service charge (and no notification on the menu) in font half the size.'

It was claimed that the diner was not notified about the ‘surcharge’ and this extra $48 was added to the bill in a tiny font, making the eatery appear as ‘shady’ as possible.

The diner claimed that they were surprised to spot the surcharge on their receipt. Credit: Reddit.​

While the particular restaurant’s website does mention that groups of six or more will be charged an additional 10 per cent as a service charge, the diner questioned its motives as there was no reference to the said ‘surcharge’ on the menu.

Several fellow diners shared the same sentiments, taking to the social media platform with their grievances.

One user called out the restaurant for their 'sneaky' tactics, writing: 'Are the ‘service charges’ just a non-optional rebranding of tipping?'

'Like, I was under the impression that the cost of service was included in the price of the food and was thus why we don’t tip in Australia… But everyone and their dog seems to be doing it lately.'

'It is a growing trend. We need to ask before we order. I got slugged with an unknown service charge at a restaurant in Westfield Sydney this week. The waiter couldn't explain what it was for but it was obviously a forced tip,' another added.

A third chimed in: ‘And there is a spot to leave a tip… Unbelievable.’

'Yeah, that sh** is not on! It 100% has to be on the menu. I’d report it to the ACCC,' another recommended.

It was observed that there are actually two types of service charges – one where the money is distributed to the wait staff and another where the surcharge is added to the ‘table charge’ or the inclusive cost of the meals.

Some former restaurant employees tried to explain the system behind the tips. Credit: iStock.​

In response to the rants, several users who claimed to be former waiters descended on the thread, saying that the extra charge was fair for restaurants.

'Depending on the situation, this is fair IMO [in my opinion]. Working in the restaurants at Rosehill and Randwick Racecourses, we’d have two to four bartenders doing all the drinks for the 20-30 tables while the waitstaff only has a couple of tables each,' one wrote.

Another explained: 'Everything just went on to the table charge, and this could be a lot of drinks as there was a beverage package per head. Tips were pooled and split between all the staff, although sometimes waiters were tipped cash separately. All the tips were passed on to the staff though.'

Tipping is not usually a custom in Australian culture and is rather an adapted American practice.

In the U.S., it is customary to tip service workers such as waiters, bartenders, hairdressers, and valets. While tipping is not required in Australia, it is becoming more common, especially in major cities.

It seems that every day, another aspect of American culture is slowly creeping into Australian society. From the way we dress to the way we speak, it seems someday soon it’ll become difficult to tell the two cultures apart.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think adding a surcharge without informing customers is OK? Share them with us in the comments below!

This is totally unacceptable and I would refuse to pay for it. That's why I always ask for the receipt before tending my credit card: I need to know exactly what I am being charged for BEFORE the actual charging takes place.
And it would go down like this: remove that 10% charge or I walk out without paying anything at all, take it or leave it - choice time people. Regardless of the outcome, the simple mention of anything that even resembles "forced tipping" is the absolute guarantee that we would never go to that place EVER again.

 

[Geoff8]

We’ve all been there… you dine out with a group of friends, share some great food and conversation, and then comes the moment of truth when the bill arrives.

Whether you divvy it up evenly or somebody gets stuck with the bill, you go to settle it up at the counter – only to find that there’s an extra service charge added on top of what was listed on the menu.

This can come as a pretty nasty surprise – especially if you’re not expecting it – which is why one Aussie diner decided to call out this infuriating restaurant trend on social media.

Sharing a photo of the receipt, the customer wrote: 'Shameless service charge (and no notification on the menu) in font half the size.'

It was claimed that the diner was not notified about the ‘surcharge’ and this extra $48 was added to the bill in a tiny font, making the eatery appear as ‘shady’ as possible.

The diner claimed that they were surprised to spot the surcharge on their receipt. Credit: Reddit.​

While the particular restaurant’s website does mention that groups of six or more will be charged an additional 10 per cent as a service charge, the diner questioned its motives as there was no reference to the said ‘surcharge’ on the menu.

Several fellow diners shared the same sentiments, taking to the social media platform with their grievances.

One user called out the restaurant for their 'sneaky' tactics, writing: 'Are the ‘service charges’ just a non-optional rebranding of tipping?'

'Like, I was under the impression that the cost of service was included in the price of the food and was thus why we don’t tip in Australia… But everyone and their dog seems to be doing it lately.'

'It is a growing trend. We need to ask before we order. I got slugged with an unknown service charge at a restaurant in Westfield Sydney this week. The waiter couldn't explain what it was for but it was obviously a forced tip,' another added.

A third chimed in: ‘And there is a spot to leave a tip… Unbelievable.’

'Yeah, that sh** is not on! It 100% has to be on the menu. I’d report it to the ACCC,' another recommended.

It was observed that there are actually two types of service charges – one where the money is distributed to the wait staff and another where the surcharge is added to the ‘table charge’ or the inclusive cost of the meals.

Some former restaurant employees tried to explain the system behind the tips. Credit: iStock.​

In response to the rants, several users who claimed to be former waiters descended on the thread, saying that the extra charge was fair for restaurants.

'Depending on the situation, this is fair IMO [in my opinion]. Working in the restaurants at Rosehill and Randwick Racecourses, we’d have two to four bartenders doing all the drinks for the 20-30 tables while the waitstaff only has a couple of tables each,' one wrote.

Another explained: 'Everything just went on to the table charge, and this could be a lot of drinks as there was a beverage package per head. Tips were pooled and split between all the staff, although sometimes waiters were tipped cash separately. All the tips were passed on to the staff though.'

Tipping is not usually a custom in Australian culture and is rather an adapted American practice.

In the U.S., it is customary to tip service workers such as waiters, bartenders, hairdressers, and valets. While tipping is not required in Australia, it is becoming more common, especially in major cities.

It seems that every day, another aspect of American culture is slowly creeping into Australian society. From the way we dress to the way we speak, it seems someday soon it’ll become difficult to tell the two cultures apart.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think adding a surcharge without informing customers is OK? Share them with us in the comments below!

No I don’t agree, if there is to be an extra charge the diners should be informed at the start of there ordering their meals, Drinks etc.

 

[SGH]

They call it a liveable wage, that's why they tip in America and usually the staff are very good because they need their tips to get that liveable wage.
My problem now is during the pandemic we were all using our cards to pay for everything, they were asking is this the end of cash as we know it. Well now we are being charged a surcharge for using the cards, and yes even the debit cards where it is your own money is being hit.
Someone is making a lot of money at the expense of those who can least afford it.

 

[Plastic Druid]

In the US (and some other countries) waiters (and other service staff) are typically paid very low wages and depend on tips to top up their income. In Australia waiters get a decent wage and do not need to be tipped, although it's always an option for exceptional service. This 'service charge' trend is un-Australian and we should refuse to accept it as the norm. If the food is worth the cost shown on the menu then we're all square and that's the end of it. Restaurant owners, don't go there. We won't stand for it and you will ruin your business.

 

[PSGettingold]

We’ve all been there… you dine out with a group of friends, share some great food and conversation, and then comes the moment of truth when the bill arrives.

Whether you divvy it up evenly or somebody gets stuck with the bill, you go to settle it up at the counter – only to find that there’s an extra service charge added on top of what was listed on the menu.

This can come as a pretty nasty surprise – especially if you’re not expecting it – which is why one Aussie diner decided to call out this infuriating restaurant trend on social media.

Sharing a photo of the receipt, the customer wrote: 'Shameless service charge (and no notification on the menu) in font half the size.'

It was claimed that the diner was not notified about the ‘surcharge’ and this extra $48 was added to the bill in a tiny font, making the eatery appear as ‘shady’ as possible.

The diner claimed that they were surprised to spot the surcharge on their receipt. Credit: Reddit.​

While the particular restaurant’s website does mention that groups of six or more will be charged an additional 10 per cent as a service charge, the diner questioned its motives as there was no reference to the said ‘surcharge’ on the menu.

Several fellow diners shared the same sentiments, taking to the social media platform with their grievances.

One user called out the restaurant for their 'sneaky' tactics, writing: 'Are the ‘service charges’ just a non-optional rebranding of tipping?'

'Like, I was under the impression that the cost of service was included in the price of the food and was thus why we don’t tip in Australia… But everyone and their dog seems to be doing it lately.'

'It is a growing trend. We need to ask before we order. I got slugged with an unknown service charge at a restaurant in Westfield Sydney this week. The waiter couldn't explain what it was for but it was obviously a forced tip,' another added.

A third chimed in: ‘And there is a spot to leave a tip… Unbelievable.’

'Yeah, that sh** is not on! It 100% has to be on the menu. I’d report it to the ACCC,' another recommended.

It was observed that there are actually two types of service charges – one where the money is distributed to the wait staff and another where the surcharge is added to the ‘table charge’ or the inclusive cost of the meals.

Some former restaurant employees tried to explain the system behind the tips. Credit: iStock.​

In response to the rants, several users who claimed to be former waiters descended on the thread, saying that the extra charge was fair for restaurants.

'Depending on the situation, this is fair IMO [in my opinion]. Working in the restaurants at Rosehill and Randwick Racecourses, we’d have two to four bartenders doing all the drinks for the 20-30 tables while the waitstaff only has a couple of tables each,' one wrote.

Another explained: 'Everything just went on to the table charge, and this could be a lot of drinks as there was a beverage package per head. Tips were pooled and split between all the staff, although sometimes waiters were tipped cash separately. All the tips were passed on to the staff though.'

Tipping is not usually a custom in Australian culture and is rather an adapted American practice.

In the U.S., it is customary to tip service workers such as waiters, bartenders, hairdressers, and valets. While tipping is not required in Australia, it is becoming more common, especially in major cities.

It seems that every day, another aspect of American culture is slowly creeping into Australian society. From the way we dress to the way we speak, it seems someday soon it’ll become difficult to tell the two cultures apart.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think adding a surcharge without informing customers is OK? Share them with us in the comments below!

Not OK, its plainly sneeky, we like to tip but not like this

 

[tycoon6]

The reason why I don't eat out on public holidays, because of the 10 - 20% surchage on the bill.

 

[JudeHuynh]

I've been in this situation before, and it's frustrating! It does feel like a sneaky way for restaurants to get more money from their customers. I think restaurants should be required to list any service charges on the menu so that customers are aware of them upfront, like https://www.riwa-restaurant.de/de/ do. That way, we can decide whether or not we want to dine there, knowing that we may have to pay a little extra. As it stands, it feels like we're being tricked into paying more than we should.