Event planning guides
Ask whether a service charge on a venue quote is a tip
A service charge, a gratuity, and a tax are three lines. A service charge is a tip only after the operator says the staff receives it.
Key decisions
- A service charge, a gratuity, and a tax are three lines on a quote.
- A service charge is a tip only after the operator says the staff receives it.
- Ask which lines are on the quote before you add a number the quote did not write.
Published spaces are whatever is listed, and the operator confirms the date. A service charge, a gratuity, and a tax are three lines on a venue quote, and a service charge is a tip only after the operator says the staff receives it.
Write the service charge, the gratuity, and the tax on three lines
Write the three lines before you add a number the quote did not write. Put each name on its own line, then ask the operator which of those lines this quote already includes. Leave a line blank when the quote does not show it.
| Line | On this quote? | Who receives it, if the operator said. |
|---|---|---|
| Service charge | Copy what the quote shows, or leave the cell blank | The staff, only after the operator says the staff receives it |
| Gratuity | Copy what the quote shows, or leave the cell blank | The people the operator names when they write this line |
| Tax | Copy what the quote shows, or leave the cell blank | Write the operator's answer, and leave the rate unstated |
The service-charge row holds the tip question. Copy the service charge when the quote shows one, and ask who receives it. A service charge is a tip only after the operator says the staff receives it. Until that sentence is in the reply, the row records a service charge and waits.
The gratuity row is a separate line. A quote that says service charge and does not mention gratuity leaves that row blank. Add a tip only after the operator says the service charge is not the gratuity, and writes the gratuity line. A missing gratuity line stays blank.
The tax row is the third line. Ask whether this quote already shows a tax, and copy that answer. This page is not stating a tax rate for DC, Maryland, or Virginia. You fill the tax line from the quote in front of you, after the operator has written it.
Ask which lines are on the quote before you add a number the quote did not write. Send this request with the three lines:
Please write the service charge, the gratuity, and the tax on three lines. Say which of those lines this quote already includes, and who receives the service charge. Leave a line off the reply when the quote does not show it.
Keep the three lines on the venue comparison worksheet. Compare quotes after each one has named its lines. Who is counted is a different question from these three money lines. Ask which headcount line a venue contract includes, and keep that answer with the people, separate from the service charge, the gratuity, and the tax. A corporate meeting in Washington, DC still needs those three money lines named by the operator. Read about corporate meeting venues in Washington, DC for badges, buildings, and arrival. Those questions sit next to the quote and do not replace the three lines.
Hypothetical: a food line of 100 and a service-charge line of 18
The figures below are the numbers on one sample quote, not a rate the reader can reuse. This page is not stating a percentage. This page is not stating a DC, Maryland, or Virginia tax rate.
On that one sample quote, the food line is 100 and the service-charge line is 18. The sum of those two lines, before tax and gratuity, is 100 + 18 = 118. The 118 is the food line plus the service-charge line on that one sample quote. Tax and gratuity stay off that sum until the quote writes them.
18 is the service-charge line on this sample. A service charge is a tip only after the operator says the staff receives it. Keep 18 on the service-charge line until the operator says who receives it. If the same quote later writes a gratuity or a tax, place that line beside 118, and leave 100, 18, and 118 on this one sample quote.
Start from the spaces that are listed
Published spaces are whatever is listed. Browse published spaces, then ask that operator which of the three lines the quote already includes and who receives the service charge. The operator confirms the date. A service charge is a tip only after that operator says the staff receives it.
While a line is still blank, stay with the spaces that are listed. DMV venue guides and the venue guide keep the search on published spaces. Plan the gathering after the operator has confirmed the date and said who receives the service charge.
Put it into practice
Track the decisions you’ve made and the questions still to ask.
Saving is off. Your checks last for this page visit.
A little more clarity
Common questions
If one sample quote shows a food line of 100 and a service-charge line of 18, what is the sum before tax and gratuity?
On that one hypothetical quote, 100 plus 18 is 118. The 118 is the food line plus the service-charge line before any tax or gratuity the same quote lists separately. 18 is not a rate to reuse, and 118 is not a tax. A service charge is a tip only if the operator says the staff receives it.
The quote says service charge and does not mention gratuity. Should we add a tip?
Add a tip only after the operator says the service charge is not the gratuity, and writes the gratuity line. A missing gratuity line stays blank. It is not an invitation to invent one.
