The short answer
A ++ (plus plus) price on a wedding quote, such as "$95++", means $95 per person before two additions: a service charge and sales tax. The amount you pay per guest is higher than the number shown. To find the real figure, ask the service charge percentage, which lines it applies to, and whether tax is calculated on the service charge as well as on the food.
What does plus plus mean in a price?
Each plus is an addition that is not in the printed price. On a menu or bar quote, the first is the service charge (which may be called an administrative, operations or house fee) and the second is sales tax. The printed figure is the base those additions are calculated on, not the amount you pay.
A quote may show "+++" for a third addition, such as a gratuity or a separate administrative fee. Do not assume what each sign means; ask the venue or caterer to name each addition, its rate and its base in writing. If a quote says "inclusive" or "all-in," ask which additions that covers, so you can spot anything added later.
How do you calculate a ++ price per guest?
You need three facts: the service charge rate, the tax rate, and whether tax is applied to the service charge. Then multiply. For example, take a hypothetical $95++ dinner for 120 guests with a 22% service charge and 7% tax applied to both food and service charge. Food is 120 x $95 = $11,400. The service charge is $11,400 x 0.22 = $2,508. Tax is ($11,400 + $2,508) x 0.07 = $973.56.
The total is $11,400 + $2,508 + $973.56 = $14,881.56, or $124.01 per guest, not $95. If the same venue taxed only the food, tax would be $11,400 x 0.07 = $798, the total $14,706 and the per-guest cost $122.55. Whether tax applies to a service charge depends on your state and on how the charge is written, so ask the venue to show it on an estimate.
Which lines on a quote carry the ++?
Not necessarily all of them. The service charge may apply to food and beverage only, or also to rentals, staffing, cake cutting, corkage and the room fee. Tax may apply to a different set of lines. Mark each line on your quote with two notes: service charge yes or no, and tax yes or no.
Lines without a ++ label deserve the same question. A bartender fee or a chef-attended station may be listed as a flat amount, and the proposal may still add a service charge to it. The only reliable answer is an itemized estimate that shows each percentage, the lines it applies to and the resulting amount.
- Per-person menu and hors d'oeuvres
- Bar package or consumption bar
- Late-night food and stations
- Cake cutting and corkage
- Bartender, chef and captain fees
- Rentals and room or site fee
How do I compare a ++ quote with an inclusive price?
Convert both to the same basis before you compare: total cost for your guest count with service charge and tax included. The printed per-person figures are not comparable while one leaves out additions and the other includes them.
For example, hypothetical Venue A quotes $95++ and hypothetical Venue B quotes $118 per person including service charge and tax. At 120 guests, Venue B is 120 x $118 = $14,160. Venue A, converted above, is $14,881.56. The quote that looked $23 cheaper per person costs $721.56 more in total. The conversion changes the answer, which is why it comes first.
Is a food and beverage minimum stated before or after the ++?
Check the minimum clause for the words "exclusive of service charge and tax" or "before service charge and tax." If the minimum is stated that way, the additions sit on top of it, and the amount you pay to meet the minimum is higher than the minimum itself.
For example, a hypothetical $12,000 minimum stated before a 22% service charge and 7% tax on both: $12,000 x 1.22 = $14,640, then $14,640 x 1.07 = $15,664.80. That is the least you would pay once the minimum is met, before any rental or room fees. The food and beverage minimum guide covers what counts toward the figure.
What should I ask the venue to confirm in writing?
Ask for an itemized estimate at your expected guest count rather than a description. It should name each addition, its rate, the lines it is calculated on and the order of calculation. Keep the estimate with your contract and compare it with the invoice later.
Also ask whether the rates can change before the wedding. A service charge or tax rate in a proposal may be described as subject to change, and a contract may apply the rate in effect on the event date. Record the wording so you can check the final invoice against it.
Plus-plus price converter
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Line | Quoted price | Service charge rate and base | Tax rate and base | Price with additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner per person | — | — | — | — |
| Bar per person | — | — | — | — |
| Hors d'oeuvres or stations | — | — | — | — |
| Late-night food | — | — | — | — |
| Cake cutting or corkage | — | — | — | — |
| Staff fees | — | — | — | — |
| Room or site fee | — | — | — | — |
| Total for our guest count | — | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Add your document reference and the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Thank you for the proposal. Several prices are shown as "++" and we would like to understand the full cost. Could you confirm in writing what each plus sign stands for, the rate of each addition and the lines it is calculated on? Is sales tax applied to the service charge as well as the food? Could you send an itemized estimate for [number] guests showing each line, each addition and the total? Please also tell us whether any of these rates could change before our date.
Common questions
What does "++" mean on a restaurant or catering menu?
A "++" on a restaurant, banquet or catering menu means the printed price is before a service charge and sales tax, which are added on top. The same shorthand appears on wedding menus and bar packages. Ask for the rate of each addition and the lines it applies to before you compare prices or set a budget.
Is the ++ service charge a tip?
The ++ service charge is not automatically a tip. A service charge is a mandatory contract charge, and the label alone does not say whether any of it reaches the staff who work your event. Ask the venue in writing how the charge is distributed; the service charge vs gratuity guide explains how to read the answer.
Is there a quick way to estimate a ++ price?
A quick estimate of a ++ price is the printed price multiplied by (1 + service charge rate), then by (1 + tax rate), if tax applies to the service charge. For example, a hypothetical $95 x 1.22 x 1.07 = $124.01 per guest. Confirm the method, the rates and the order of calculation with the venue on an itemized estimate.
Does ++ apply to the venue rental fee?
Whether ++ applies to a venue rental fee depends on the contract. A room or site fee may carry tax but no service charge, both, or neither, whatever the menu shows. Check each line on the estimate for its own additions rather than assuming the ++ on the menu applies to it, and ask the venue to mark each one.
What does "+++" mean on a wedding quote?
A "+++" on a wedding quote signals a third addition on top of the printed price, such as a gratuity or an administrative fee, alongside the service charge and tax. Ask the venue to name each addition, its rate and the base it is calculated on, and add each one to your per-guest figure before comparing quotes.
Is plus plus pricing the same as cost-plus pricing?
Plus plus pricing on a wedding quote is not the same as cost-plus pricing. Cost-plus describes how a business sets a price from its own costs and a markup. A ++ on a quote tells you that a service charge and tax will be added to the price you see, so it is about what you pay, not how the price was set.