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:

Lisburn Square No 2, the apartment owners' landlord, said it was the "largest individual contributor to the service charge" and that all expenditure was audited.

From BBC Sep. 2, 2026

Schwab’s tier for this is called Intelligent Portfolios, and you can access this without a service charge.

From MarketWatch Aug. 28, 2026

The airport operator is adding more routes of revenue while cutting expenses, which will likely be a good earnings driver in addition to a new passenger service charge rate, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 19, 2026

Despite his love for the flat and its "pretty splendid" grounds, he thinks the service charge could put off any future buyers.

From BBC May 21, 2026

“Seven hundred and twenty dollars. Talk about a rip-off. They’re supposed to sell for fifty-five a piece, but they charge a five-dollar service charge for each ticket.”

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