Restaurants and cafes in Turkey have begun to be fined for deceiving tourists. The reason was the so-called service charge, or tips, not named on the menu, but included in the check.
In Istanbul alone, recent inspections from the Ministry of Trade led to fines of 834 thousand Turkish lira being imposed on restaurants and cafes.
“If restaurants and cafes charge a service charge or a charge under any other name, it must be indicated in the tariff and price list, and penalties will be applied to businesses that do not show it,” Turkish media quoted.
Also, in the ministry’s statement explaining the Regulation on Amendments to the Regulation on Price Tags, published in the Official Gazette, businesses are given a stern warning. According to it, checks of labels and price lists in restaurants, cafes, confectioneries, and similar service establishments will continue. For each violation detected, a fine of 2 thousand 172 liras awaits.