Public holidays in Australia are some of the busiest, and most expensive – trading days for hospitality venues. With higher wage rates and increased staffing needs, implementing an effective holiday surcharge isn’t just helpful; it’s often essential for maintaining healthy margins.

But surcharging can be a sensitive topic, and customers expect transparency. The good news: with the right approach (and the right POS setup), holiday surcharges can be simple, compliant, and customer-friendly.

Here are the top hospitality surcharging tips to get your hospo venue ready for the holiday period.

1. Be Transparent: Show the Surcharge Clearly

Australian consumer law requires that customers are clearly informed of any surcharge before they order.
Make transparency your friend:

• Display signage at the entrance and service counter

• Add a surcharge notice on menus (physical & digital)

• Ensure your POS automatically displays the surcharge on receipts

A good POS system should allow you to configure holiday surcharges with clear itemisation, so there’s no confusion for customers at checkout.

2. Use Automated Surcharge Settings – Don’t Adjust Manually

Manually adding surcharges during peak trade is a recipe for mistakes.
Instead, set up automated public-holiday surcharges in your POS well in advance.

A quality hospitality POS lets you:

• Schedule surcharges for specific dates

• Apply tiered surcharges (e.g., 10% on Christmas Eve, 15% on Boxing Day)

• Toggle surcharges on/off in one click

This ensures accuracy, speed, and consistency across all terminals and service areas.

3. Train Staff Ahead of Time

Your team needs to understand:

• When the surcharge applies

• How it works on the POS

• How to explain it if customers ask

A well-prepared team avoids awkward conversations and improves customer confidence. Most customers are understanding – as long as the staff can explain the surcharge clearly and calmly.

4. Keep the Surcharge Fair and Easy to Explain

Customers tend to accept public holiday surcharges when they’re reasonable and justified.

Keep it simple:

• A flat percentage is easiest for both staff and customers

• Avoid complicated multi-rate structures unless absolutely necessary

• Link the surcharge to increased holiday wage costs when explaining to patrons

Customers appreciate honesty and simplicity far more than a bargain.

5. Make Sure Digital Ordering Channels Match Your POS

If you use:

• QR ordering

• Online ordering

• Delivery platforms

• Table-side tablets

• Kiosk ordering

…double-check that the holiday surcharge is also applied there.

Inconsistent pricing between in-venue and digital channels can cause disputes, and cost you money.

Many POS systems allow surcharge rules to sync automatically across partners and integrations.

6. Review Last Year’s Data to Find the Optimal Rate

Your POS data can reveal:

• Hourly sales volume

• Staffing levels

• Wage costs

• Average spend per head

• Public holiday profitability

Use this data to determine whether last year’s surcharge was too low, too high, or just right.
The best surcharge rate is one that helps cover increased costs without discouraging customers.

7. Communicate Early on Social Media & Email

To avoid surprises, give your customers a heads-up:

• Update your Google Business Profile

• Add a quick post on social media

• Mention it in your pre-holiday email newsletter

This proactive communication builds trust and reduces on-the-day misunderstandings.

8. Review Your Surcharge After the Holiday Period

Once the holidays settle down, review how your surcharge performed:

• Did sales drop when the surcharge applied?

• Did the surcharge properly cover increased labour costs?

• Were there customer complaints or confusion?

• Did staff find it easy to manage on the POS?

This will help you fine-tune policies for next year—and ensure surcharges contribute to profitability, not friction.