---
title: Distribute service charge
description: Share the period's service-charge pool equally, by hours or by role weight, with lines that always add up to the pool.
order: 15
updated: 2026-09-16
keywords: service charge, pool, distribution, tips, hours, role weight
---

Service charge is kept separate from tax and from wages. This guide distributes a period's pool to staff and records it.

**Before you start:** team write access. The period's time must be approved so hours are final.

## Choose the method

1. Open **Team › Payroll** and choose the service-charge period.
2. Pick a method:

| Method        | How the pool is split                                                                  |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Equal         | The same amount to every eligible person                                               |
| Hours         | In proportion to approved hours in the period                                          |
| Role weighted | Hours multiplied by a weight per role, for example 1.0 for servers and 0.8 for kitchen |

## Who is eligible

By the default policy, staff on probation, on leave for the period, or who left during the period are excluded. The screen lists who is in and who is out before you confirm.

## Confirm

Review the lines. They always sum to the pool exactly, to the sen. Confirm to record the distribution. Each person sees their line in their own pay statement.

## Tip pools

**Team › Tip pools** is a separate manual ledger for cash tips. Record the pool and its split the same way. It is not connected to a live tips feed.

## Related

- [Approve timesheets and run payroll](/docs/how-to/run-payroll)