Set Up Weekend and Public Holiday Service Charges and Surcharges (Australia)

Weekend and Public Holiday surcharges are different from credit card surcharges, which are used specifically to offset the cost of payment processing fees.

In this Article:

Overview
Set Up Weekend and Public Holiday Service Charges and Surcharges
Standard Configuration Settings
Tax Settings
Set Your Dining Options
Add a Schedule
Managing Schedules and Overlaps
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Overview of Weekend and Public Holiday Surcharges in Australia

Many restaurants use percentage-based service charges (surcharges) on weekends and public holidays to help balance higher operational costs. Toast's Scheduled service charges feature lets you configure these to apply automatically on the days and times you choose, eliminating the need to manually switch charges on and off each weekend.

While operators and guests customarily call this a "surcharge," it is entirely separate from a card surcharge (the processing fee applied when a customer pays by card).

You will configure each surcharge in two parts: first create the service charge profile under Service charges, then schedule when it applies under Scheduled service charges.

Set Up Weekend and Public Holiday Service Charges and Surcharges

Follow these steps to edit or create Weekend and Public Holiday Surcharges in Toast Web.

To add or update operational charges, follow these steps:

Log in to Toast Web and navigate to Finance > Related > Settings > Service charges & fees.
Select + Add to create a charge profile, or click an existing item from the list to edit it.

Note: For Multi-location groups: Confirm that the Target and Owner drop-down selections match the intended restaurant location or entity before clicking Save.

Standard Configuration Settings for Weekend and Public Holiday Service Charges and Surcharges

You should build an independent service charge record for each active scenario your venue requires (for example, a 10% charge for weekends and a 15% charge for public holidays). Use highly accurate, descriptive names that will appear on guest bills, such as "Weekend Surcharge 10%" or "Public Holiday Surcharge 15%".

Use the values below to configure the core charge options:

Setting	Recommended Value	Operational Notes
Charge Type	Fixed Percent	Scheduled surcharges support percentage-based charges only.
Charge Percent	Operator's chosen rate (e.g., 10% or 15%)	Standard weekend rates normally sit between 10% and 15%. Public holiday rates are frequently higher.
Apply After Amount Threshold	$0.00	Ensures the charge triggers on checks beginning at the first cent.
Assign to check owner (Gratuity?)	No	Selecting No maps the collection directly to net sales as an employer-kept operational offset. Selecting Yes pays the amount out to the employee as non-tip wages.
Calculated on	Pre-discount Total	Standard industry practice for hospitality surcharges.

Tax Settings for Weekend and Public Holiday Service Charges and Surcharges

Scroll down to the Taxes section on the same service charge profile.

Tax Settings: Select Tax Inclusive (Tax is already included in the service charge amount.)
Applicable Taxes: Choose the option that fits your local requirements.

Note: Please consult your tax advisor for guidance on collecting and distributing service charges in your region. Compliance with applicable tax laws is your responsibility.

Set Your Dining Options for Weekend and Public Holiday Service Charges and Surcharges

On the same service charge profile, set which order types the surcharge applies to:

Dine-In?: Set to Yes if the surcharge applies to dine-in orders.
Takeout?: Set to Yes if it applies to takeout orders.
Delivery?: Set to Yes if it applies to delivery orders.

You can select all applicable options on a single profile. Select Save.

Note: The surcharge will only apply automatically when a dining option is assigned to the order. If your staff use Quick Order frequently, set a default dining option under Front of house > Dining options so the surcharge applies without needing manual selection each time.

Add a Schedule for Weekend and Public Holiday Service Charges and Surcharges

Once your service charge profile is saved, set up when it applies:

Navigate to Finance > Settings > Scheduled service charges.
Select + Add schedule.
Choose your schedule type: Weekly recurring days for regular weekends, or Specific dates for public holidays.
Select the service charge profile you created from the dropdown menu.
Set the time range (or select All day).
Select Save and Publish.

Managing Schedules and Overlaps

Weekly Recurring Days: On the Scheduled service charges page, select the Weekly recurring days tab to set up a surcharge that repeats on the same day(s) every week (e.g., Saturdays and Sundays). Set your time range and link the service charge profile. Once published, the surcharge applies automatically each week during the hours set.
Specific Dates (Public Holidays): Select the Specific dates tab to schedule a surcharge on specific calendar dates, such as Australia Day, Melbourne Cup, or ANZAC Day. Select + Add schedule, choose Specific dates, enter the date, set your time range, and link your public holiday service charge. Repeat for each public holiday you trade on.
Handling Schedule Overlaps: If a public holiday falls on a regular weekend day and you have both a recurring weekend schedule and a specific date schedule active, Toast automatically applies the highest-rate scheduled service charge. You do not need to manually deactivate standard weekend profiles when a public holiday occurs.

Note: Other non-scheduled service charges (such as a large party mandatory gratuity) are not affected by schedule overlap rules and may still apply on top of the scheduled surcharge.

This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for advice.