Authorities ban mandatory service, table fees in restaurants

ANKARA

New consumer protection rules have entered into force in Türkiye, introducing a sweeping overhaul of pricing practices in restaurants and other food and beverage establishments.

Under the updated regulation published in the Official Gazette on Jan. 30, businesses are no longer permitted to charge customers compulsory fees beyond the listed price of the food and drinks they order.

The new framework eliminates mandatory service charges, table fees, cover charges and similar add-ons that have become common in recent years. Establishments may not request any additional payment under alternative names or categories, closing loopholes that previously allowed extra costs to be imposed as long as they appeared on menus or price lists.

With the regulation now in effect, the price displayed for an item must represent the final amount payable by the customer.

Authorities say the change responds to growing public concern over unclear and inconsistent billing practices, particularly as digital and card payments have become the dominant form of payment.

While earlier rules focused on transparency by requiring full price disclosure, consumers continued to report surprise charges introduced under different labels.

Under the new system, customers will pay solely for what they consume. Any tip left for the staff will be entirely voluntary and left to the discretion of the customer, rather than embedded into the bill as a compulsory fee.

The practice is intended to simply cover dining expenses for both locals and visitors.

The ministry had previously required businesses to display full prices, including any service fee (compulsory charges added for service), at entrances and on menus, which allowed such charges as long as they were clearly listed.

Although that policy aimed to increase transparency, some establishments continued to introduce extra charges under different names, prompting renewed public complaints.