Is it time for restaurants to ditch service charges? Join The Independent Debate

Have your say: Would you prefer to leave a tip at your own discretion? Or does a service charge simplify the process of dining out?

Is it time to take service charges off the bill? (iStock)

Over a fifth of UK diners are now saying “no thanks” to “optional” service charges, according to new research from RSM UK – but should these charges be removed from the bill entirely?

The standard 12.5 per cent add-on is becoming a point of frustration, even for us famously polite Brits. With the cost of living soaring, many feel these automatic charges make dining out even less affordable. In regions like the southwest and East Midlands, more than a third of diners are refusing to pay them.

New rules from October 1 require that tips, including service charges, be fairly split among staff, aiming for more transparency. But some restaurant owners argue that this doesn’t address the bigger problem of rising costs across the board.

We want to hear from you: Should service charges be a thing of the past? Should tipping be left entirely to the customer’s discretion, or should it be an accepted part of dining out?

Share your thoughts by adding them in the comments — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.

All you have to do is sign up and register your details — then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.