Service charge
SER-vis-charj /ˈsɜːvɪs tʃɑːdʒ/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
An extra 10-15% that many restaurants add to the bill automatically, instead of a tip. If it's marked "discretionary" (optional), you can ask for it to be removed if the service was bad — that's allowed, though most people just pay it. Don't tip on top of a service charge.
Chinese explanation
很多餐厅会自动在账单上加收10%-15%的服务费，代替小费。如果标着"discretionary"（自愿），服务差时可以要求去掉——这是允许的，虽然大多数人会照付。已收服务费就不用再给小费了。
Example conversation
A: There's a twelve and a half percent service charge on the bill.
B: Then we don't need to leave a tip — it's already included.
A：账单上有12.5%的服务费。
B：那我们就不用再留小费了——已经包含在里面了。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
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· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake