Service charges are also called service fees. They go by a number of different names depending on the industry, including booking fees (hotels), security fees (travel), maintenance fees (banking), and customer service fees.

A service fee is an additional charge added to a transaction to cover the administrative, logistical, or processing costs associated with providing a specific service. A very common example in 2026 is the "Convenience Fee" or "Processing Fee" applied when purchasing concert or sporting event tickets online through platforms like Ticketmaster. While the base price of the ticket covers the seat, the service fee covers the website's maintenance, digital delivery of the ticket, and customer support. Other frequent examples include "Resort Fees" at hotels, which cover amenities like Wi-Fi and pool access, or "Delivery Fees" on apps like Uber Eats. These fees are typically non-negotiable and are meant to decouple the direct cost of the product from the operational overhead required to deliver it to the consumer.