The lawyer called the inclusion of tips in the bill an illegal practice

The automatic inclusion of tips in the bill in restaurants can be considered as the imposition of additional services and contradict the legislation on consumer protection. Alexander Khaminsky, a lawyer and head of the Law Enforcement Center in Moscow and the Moscow Region, told Izvestia about this on April 23.

"It should be noted that by its very nature, a tip is a voluntary reward, a kind of gift, carried out between a customer and a waiter for high—quality service. The key characteristic of tips is the freedom to choose whether to leave them or not, and in what amount," he said.

According to the expert, catering services already include a full range of services — from cooking to serving and cleaning the table. Thus, the visitor pays for the service in full when ordering from the menu.

Khaminsky emphasized that the inclusion of mandatory tips in the bill actually means the imposition of an additional service. This contradicts article 16 of the Law "On Consumer Rights Protection", which prohibits making the provision of some services conditional on the purchase of others.

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He added that since September 1, 2025, the requirements have been tightened: any additional services can only be provided with the consent of the client.

According to the lawyer, tips are by their nature a voluntary reward for service. When they become a mandatory part of the account, they lose this status and turn into an additional paid service. The expert noted that if such a line is included in the bill, the consumer has the right to demand its exclusion, and if refused, to file a complaint with Rospotrebnadzor or the court.

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Lawyer and expert of the National Foundation of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Vesta Antskevich said on April 23 that starting in 2026, control over financial transactions of businesses in Russia will significantly increase due to digitalization and closer cooperation between departments. According to her, this creates new risks for entrepreneurs: even technical failures can lead to penalties and fines. Federal Law No. 115-FZ, which regulates the control of monetary transactions, remains one of the key guidelines.