Applying service charges on weekends and public holidays? Read this.
By Team ZellerLearn how Zeller can support your business.
If you’ve ever paid extra for a coffee on a Sunday or a meal on a public holiday, you know weekend and public holiday service charges are common in Australia to help businesses cover higher operating costs on those days.
The good news is that, with Zeller POS Lite, you don’t need to fiddle with prices or do mental maths at the checkout. Our service charges feature lets you automatically add a service charge whenever you need, and it keeps things transparent for your customers.
In this article, we’ll break down what a service charge is, why businesses use them, and how you can easily set one up to use with Zeller POS LIte.
What's the difference between a surcharge and a service charge?
A surcharge is an extra fee added on top of a sale, usually as a percentage of the transaction but sometimes as a fixed dollar amount. There are several types of surcharges, for example:
Credit card surcharges: Used to on-charge the specific amount (and no more) it costs a business to accept an electronic payment. These are tightly regulated in Australia.
Service charges: Used to offset specific costs related to customer service, most commonly staff penalty rates on weekends and public holidays.
The Australian Consumer Law requires that all surcharges must (including service charges) be clearly disclosed to customers via menus, signs, or price displays. This is to ensure transparency during a transaction – and because nobody likes a hidden fee!
Public holiday and weekend surcharges in Australia.
Not only are public holiday service charges legal in Australia, they’re practically expected in many industries. If you operate a café, restaurant or bar, you’re probably already familiar with weekend and public holiday surcharges. Australian hospitality businesses may choose to add a weekend service charge (for example, an extra 10% on Sundays) or a public holiday service charge (such as 15% or more on public holidays such as Christmas Day or Easter Sunday) to help cover the higher wages they’re required to pay employees on those days.
There’s no fixed cap on weekend or public holiday service charges, but it should be reasonable and justifiable (for example, to cover the penalty rates you’re paying your staff). This is where Zeller POS Lite’s service charge feature can really help – it prints the charge as a separate line on the receipt (both printed and digital), so the customer sees exactly what they’re paying for.
How to set up a service charge in Zeller POS Lite.
Setting up a service charge for your Zeller POS system is quick and easy. Here’s how to do it:
1. Find the Service Charges settings
In Zeller Dashboard or Zeller App, head to Items and select Service Charges.
2. Create and customise your service charge
– Tap Add Service Charge (or the + button in the app)
– Add a percentage or fixed dollar amount
– Give it a clear name, like “Public Holiday 15%”. This will appear on customer receipts.
– If you have multiple locations, assign the charge to the relevant sites only
3. Apply as needed
Your newly created service charge will now appear in Zeller POS Lite in your Zeller Terminal and Zeller App under Shortcuts. Just apply it to relevant sales and it will automatically appear on your customers’ receipts – no need for manual price edits.
