Have you ever come across a service charge, or the word “coperto” on a restaurant bill in Europe, and did you wonder what it was?
Service charge, coperto and tips are all completely different terms, and I'll explain why.
| Service Charge | Tips | Coperto | |
| What is it? | A new type of charge added to your bill in high-end restaurants or tourist places. It's somewhat an unofficial tourist restaurant tax. | Tips are optional in Europe and are only given if the service was great or spot on. | A fixed table charge when you sit down in an Osteria, Trattoria or Ristorante in Italy. |
| Where is it practiced? | In some high-end restaurants around London. In Italian, Swiss, French, Polish, Greek, Spanish, and Portuguese tourist hot spots. It appears super random! | In places where the food and service were stellar! You don't tip if you are not satisfied with the food, drink, or service in Europe. | Coperto is prevalent all over Italy, except in the Lazio region, which includes Rome, where it is banned. BUT, we had coperto at times on our bill when in Rome, and I don't know if that went all right. |
| How high is it? | 5-20% of your bill | Europeans round up, and that's the tip. So, if a bill is €28.40, you round up to €30. Don't cave in if they are asking for 10-20%, they would never dare to ask a local that. We have encountered some areas where they do this, such as Vienna, Munich (because we spoke English and not German), Bratislava, Budapest, Bucharest, and Cluj-Napoca in Romania. | €1,50-2 per person. It's higher in touristy places. |
| What does it include? | Service. You basically don't need to add tips anymore to your bill because they literally forced you to leave tips with the service charge. | The waiter service. We worked in the service industry, and tips always go to the service and, in most cases, to the person directly who served you. (Don't leave the coins on the table, or another will snatch it) | This service charge includes the table setting, including cutlery, glasses, and tablecloths, as well as the bread and seasoning, such as salt, pepper, and olive oil. If they didn't bring bread, ask for it! |
| Who pays for this charge? | Those who frequent high-end settings might have encountered this charge, or tourist places in and around Rome like to add “servizio” to their restaurant bills. | All the customers who are satisfied with the service and food. | Everybody who sits down, including locals, in a food establishment. If you are standing and drinking an espresso at the counter, you don't pay coperto. |
| Is it visibly added to a restaurant bill? | In some tourist places, the service charge is visibly added to the bill. In a few countries, including France, it should be added to the menu price. | Some establishments ask politely for tips on bills, but that is just a reminder to leave tips if you liked the service. | Yes, it's called “Coperto” always. |
| Can you avoid paying this charge? | Yes, if you pick a restaurant that doesn't add a service charge. The problem, you don't see that until the bill is presented, and asking about it before sitting down is somewhat rude. A few restaurants (i.e., in Italy) have to mention it by law on the menu card. | Yes, tips in Europe are 100% optional. You do not have to give tips. | No, if you are sitting at a table in a restaurant. Yes, if you are doing takeaway only. |
Service Charge Thoughts
The service charge is a new way to squeeze out money from customers, and I, personally, do not endorse it, although I worked in the tourism industry in Europe.
It doesn't promote transparency, and it seems to randomly appear on bills because it's poorly regulated. (Except in Italy, where it needs to be clearly stated on menus)
We have had instances where we saw a service charge appear in European, and even other non-European countries, and I assume some restaurant owners simply think it's legit to do this.
In my opinion, it just leaves the customer bitter because it's not as if we are informed about an impending service charge when we decide to dine on the premises.
Many people see it as a forced tip, especially because it appears more often in Tourist hot-spots such as London and Budapest.
Tipping Tips in Europe
Tips are optional in Europe, and I can't stress enough on that!
Europeans do not sit down and start calculating 10% or 20% from their bill, that's just absolutely ridiculous. When I mentioned that to people in Austria, Germany, France, Romania, and Italy, they laughed out loud.
Those guidebooks telling you that tipping is expected in Europe were written by non-Europeans or a Chat-GPT.
Some unethical waiters know how to push the buttons of North and South American visitors by presenting them the bill and using words that make it appear that a 10% or 20% tip is the norm.
When you are done eating, and they take the plates, they will ask if all was ok, and they will most definitely base their tips on that if they know you are not from Europe. We answer with an unemotional “It was ok”, when we are in other European countries, as it implies that it was just ok (we would never be that rude to say that it was bad).
Only tip in any of the European countries if you loved the service person. A good waiter will never beg or ask for tips! In fact, a reputable establishment with a good boss will never allow such practices.
The unethical ones have a scheme ready, even for card payments.
When that happens, and you still choose to tip, simply tell them to round up, or you inform them that you will leave the tips in cash. Otherwise, if you would rather not tip, just say “no, thank you”
We met Petro from the Easy Peasy Creative Blog in Bucharest for cold drinks, and the waiter tried to ask for 10% tips. She politely explained that she would leave some coins. I just loved her approach!
In another, more recent instance in Prague, we witnessed as the waiters asked for 20% tips from a young Asian couple nearby. They didn't ask us for tips 10 minutes later.
Remember, you are the customer, you get to decide if you want to tip and how much you would like to tip.
What's the VAT on restaurant bills?
The VAT is the Value Added Tax and that is very variable and depends on each country's laws.
There is always a VAT on bills, that's a universal truth. It's just that some countries might call it something else, such as in German countries it's the UST, or in Italy, it's the IVA.
Tip: Always ask for the bill, and the card payment slip! Certain establishments are known to engage in schemes.
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