Service Charge the A to Z of Setup & Configuration

Aztec offers two ways to handle service charge: a fixed percentage, or a custom amount entered by the point of sale user at the guest's request. Service charge can also be applied to an account in several different ways. This guide covers the rules and options available across the Aztec modules, so you can set up service charge to suit your organisation.

Tax Rules & Products

Service charges are based on Exclusives Tax Rules which defines either the following:

Percentage Rate to be applied
Open Service Charge

Navigate to Finance → Configuration → Exclusive Tax Rules

Zonal recommends the following options when configuring tax rules for service charge:

Use a name that guests will understand when the bill is printed for example '12.5% Optional Service Charge'
If you have different rates across your organisation you can still create one service charge rule and use a name such as 'Optional Service Charge' and then the rate added can be overridden on a per site basis as required
Add an Open Service Charge rule if you know guests like to change the amount of service they want to give to your teams
Decide how you want the service charge to be applied, if the service charge is for every account selecting Apply by Default can be the easiest way to start, alternatively look at the options in Themes which can allow different methods of application

Once you have created an exclusive tax rule (percentage rate) for service charge, assign it to every product you want service charge to apply to. Not every product needs it. When service charge settings are applied to an account, only products with this rule assigned will be included in the calculation.

Navigate to Product Modelling

Set the required products with the tax rule

Theme Options

If you have chosen not to apply the service charge rule by default, you can use the following settings to define when service charge is applied to an account automatically.

Apply Service Charge by Cover Count

Navigate to Theme Modelling → Site Setup → Miscellaneous

Set the Service Cover Count Threshold to be the required number of covers where service charge will automatically apply, for example 8 or more
This setting only works in conjunction with Theme Modelling → Estate Setup → Config Sets | any of the Use Cover Count settings, if you are using the Covers Definition of Use Product Subcategory and the config set configurations are not enabled service charge will not be applied

Apply Service Charge by Account Type

Navigate to Theme Modelling → Estate Setup → Config Sets

Set the following config set options:

Auto Service Charge (Table Mode Per Seat)
- Applies service charge automatically on accounts that are associated to a table with seats
Auto Service Charge (Table Mode Not Per Seat)
- Applies service charge automatically on accounts that are associated to table
Auto Service Charge (Bar Mode)
- Applies service charge automatically to any new account (without a table)

Zonal recommends the following options when configuring config sets with service charge:

Decide how you want service charge to be applied, when using the automatic settings determine if this should apply to every point of sale terminal or selected ones

Example

Bar Terminal - No Service Charge

Restaurant Terminal - Auto Service Charge

In this example create two config sets one that applies it automatically and the other that has no configurations set and assign those config sets to the required terminals in your Site Setup → Devices section

Alternatively view the POS Settings - Service Charge Overrides later in this guide

Bill Footer Information

Navigate to Theme Modelling → Site Setup → Printing

Always show your organisation's service charge information on guest bills. Make it clear what the percentage is (especially if the service charge name doesn't include it), whether it is optional, and any other relevant details.

Set your bill footers text to include any service charge information

Other Theme Settings

When service charge rules have been added those buttons should be added to your theme or shared panel.

From the Button Picker | Other Lists | Apply Tax add the required buttons
Set any settings or security to the button as required for your organisation

Finance Settings

When working with different service charge percentages across a large company there are optional settings that can be used to override the percentage amounts being used.

Site Tax Rate Overrides

Navigate to Finance → Site Settings → Tax Rate Overrides

Add Tax Rate Overrides to enable different percentage values to be set on a per site basis
When adding overrides if Order Destinations are used selecting an override should be set for each one as required

If there is a global setting for an order destination for example no service charge on Take Away orders this can be configured against the order destination tax rate overrides
Optionally enable the Service Charge before Discounts setting - when set the service charge will not be reduced when any discounts are applied to the account

POS Settings - Service Charge Overrides

A large site might have different service charge percentages configured for a specific selection of point of sale terminals, using the service charge overrides against individual terminals enables a different percentage to be configured.

Navigate to Finance → Sales Area Settings → POS Settings → Service Charge Overrides

Optionally for a POS terminal Add the required Service Charge Overrides

When the service charge is added by this terminal it will remain at this rate regardless of where other items are added - for example if the bar charges 10% but the restaurant 12.5% items sold on the bar terminal will always be calculated at 10% even if items are added on the restaurant terminal and subsequently have the bill printed and paid in the restaurant

Additional Information

Service charge rates are applied based in the following order:

Global Rate Settings
Site Overrides
POS Service Charge Overrides

Zonal recommends when mixed service charge rates are being used in a single site and overrides are being applied this information is clearly added to a bill footer so there is no confusion for the guest

Base Data Settings

When you use order destinations, service charge can have different rates applied. You can set overrides globally against an order destination, or on a per-site basis using the site tax rate overrides.

Order Destination Tax Rate Overrides

Navigate to Base Data → Product Configuration → Order Destinations

Add Tax Rate Overrides to enable different percentage values to be set on a per order destination basis
Different settings can also be applied on a per site basis if the global configuration against the order destination is not suitable for all locations

Staff & Security

When service charge has been applied automatically, only users whose front of house job role has the required setting enabled can remove it from an account.

Navigate to Staff & Security → Roles → Front of House

Enable the Allow Service Charge Removal permission for the required front of house roles that can remove service charge from an account