Is the Service Charge Included? Meaning & Usage

Meaning 1：Inquiring about service charge inclusion (Is the service charge included?)

Is the service charge included? 🔊

/ɪz ðə ˈsɜːrvɪs tʃɑːrdʒ ɪnˈkluːdɪd/

phr.

Asking if you need to pay extra for service on top of the bill price.

Hand pointing at service charge on restaurant bill with question mark

Inquiring about service charge inclusion 🔊

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/ɪnˈkwaɪərɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈsɜːrvɪs tʃɑːrdʒ ɪnˈkluːʒən/

phr.

A polite question to ask whether an extra fee for service, such as a waiter's gratuity, is already added to the total amount on the bill.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Service' from Latin servitium; 'charge' from Latin carricare; 'include' from Latin includere.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a bill with a line 'Service Charge'—ask 'Is this included?' to recall this phrase.

📖 Example

After finishing our lovely dinner, I politely asked the waiter, "Is the service charge included?" before paying the bill. 🔊 After finishing our lovely dinner, I politely asked the waiter whether the service charge was included before paying the bill.

🔗 Collocations

service charge included – Indicates that the bill already contains a fee for service.

gratuity included – Another term for service charge included, often used in restaurants.

cover charge – A fixed fee charged per person at some restaurants, separate from service charge.

🔄 Synonyms

Is the gratuity included? (phr.) – A synonym asking if the tip is already part of the bill.

Does the bill include service? (phr.) – Another way to ask if service fee is included.

Is there a service charge? (phr.) – Asking if a service charge applies, implying it may not be included.

🚫 Antonyms

Service charge not included (phr.) – Indicates that an extra fee for service will be added.

No service charge (phr.) – States that no additional fee is added for service.

Tip is extra (phr.) – Means gratuity is not included and must be given separately.

📖 Cultural Story

Commonly asked in restaurants to clarify if a mandatory service fee is already added. The concept originated in Europe where 'service compris' meant included.