We’re travelling in the US at the moment, and as an Australian this habit of posting prices that aren’t actually the price really grinds my gears.

In Australia, the listed price is the price you’ll pay. The only exception is if they specify that it excludes GST, in which case the total price will be 10% higher.

In the US, the listed price is the starting price. Then you’ll have a city tax, a state tax, a federal tax, a congestion fee, a service fee, a minimum gratuity, and then of course the optional (but not really) additional tip on top with a suggested minimum of 25%.

It’s making buying things a really sour experience. Just yesterday I bought some clothing that came in a little under $250 and I had $300 cash on me. Easy, that’ll cover it. Nope… ended up having to bust out the card because the total was closer to $320 once all the fees and taxes got thrown on top.