A growing number of restaurants across Azerbaijan have begun adding mandatory charges to customers’ bills – fees labeled as “service charge,” “table fee,” or similar terms that, until recently, fell under voluntary tipping.
The shift has raised concerns among legal experts and consumer-rights advocates who say diners are increasingly confronted with extra payments they did not expect.
Eyub Guseynov, chairman of the Azerbaijan Consumers Union, says the practice has become widespread enough to frustrate both locals and tourists.
“One customer who celebrated his son’s birthday at a restaurant in the city center was surprised to see a 15 percent service charge added at the end,” Guseynov said. “He paid because he felt pressured, and a dispute followed.”
Guseynov noted that tipping is universally understood as a voluntary gesture – a small extra amount given directly to the staff for good service, usually without any formal requirement. Turning it into a compulsory fee, he argued, undermines its purpose.
“In my view, obligatory service charges are simply wrong,” he said.
The consumer-rights advocate also drew a regional comparison, noting that Turkey explicitly bans mandatory tips in restaurants, meaning any form of compulsory service fee is prohibited. In Turkey, he said, gratuities remain entirely voluntary, and customers cannot be forced to pay added charges beyond what is shown on the menu.
Whether Azerbaijan will move toward similar regulation remains unclear, but analysts say the rapid spread of mandatory fees is likely to fuel a broader public debate – especially as the hospitality sector counts on transparency to keep customer trust.
