self-service

American  

[self-sur-vis] / ˈsɛlfˈsɜr vɪs /

Also self-serve

noun

1. the system of serving oneself in a restaurant, shop, gas station, or other facility, without the aid of a waiter, clerk, attendant, etc.

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adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a cafeteria, store, etc., designed for the patron or customer to gather food or merchandise from a display counter or shelves without the aid of attendants and pay at a cashier's desk upon leaving.

2. of, for, or pertaining to something designed to be used or enjoyed without the aid of an attendant.

   self-service banking; self-service elevators.

self-service British  

adjective

1. of or denoting a shop, restaurant, petrol station, etc, where the customer serves himself

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noun

1. the practice of serving oneself, as in a shop, etc

Etymology

Origin of self-service

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Use certified mail, registered mail, or an approved private delivery service like FedEx or UPS, not labels from self-service kiosks or postage meters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

“But it is still early days as self-service launched only in late 2025.”

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

A total of 90% of the calls are now resolved by self-service options or callbacks.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

Berlin Brandenburg Airport is asking travellers to use online or self-service check-in instead of the desks while the outage is ongoing.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2025

Carl’s first self-service restaurant was a success, and he soon opened others near California’s new freeway off-ramps.

From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser