Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

service charge

American  

noun

  1. a fee charged for a service, sometimes in addition to a basic charge.


service charge British  

noun

  1. a percentage of a bill, as at a restaurant or hotel, added to the total to pay for service

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of service charge

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

From June, the airport operator also stands to benefit from a 53% increase in the passenger service charge for international departures.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 22, 2026

“When we found out about the 24% service charge, it was just sort of icing on the cake,” Auerbach said.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 8, 2026

The NAO says that the uncertain nature of service charge increases "poses the greatest risk to households whose initial affordability assessments leave them with limited financial headroom".

From BBC Mar. 24, 2026

The NAO investigation found that service charge increases could create affordability pressures over time for shared owners.

From BBC Mar. 24, 2026

“I am. The thing is, there’s a five- dollar service charge on each ticket. So even though the tickets are fifty-five dollars, they cost sixty.”

From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training