this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2024
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Most restaurants have a policy of requiring a tip for parties larger than a certain size. In that case, where the policy is known in advance, then it's part of the bill, and I'd think you have to pay. Otherwise I think it would be treated like theft.
Service charge on the bill is imo a bit different from a tip, a gratuity.
But again, wouldn't know, haven't been.
Definitely not my expertise this subject.
A gratuity fee must be removed if requested in the US even if it is called "mandatory". They cant legally force a tip even with it stated before hand in the menu and signage (there is probably some state where this is somehow ambiguous). Oddly that isn't true about service fees that go to the owner.
However service fees were getting popular in certain parts of California where they had to raise wages and provide medical insurance but they didn't want to advertise higher prices so they just added fees, undisclosed until the bill most of the time. Now California has passed a law to stop the service fees in the "Junk Fees" law. It also banned the automatic tipping practice, which surprised me, as well.