A beachgoer who asked staff at an Italian seaside restaurant to charge her mobile phone was handed a receipt showing a fee of EUR 1 for the service.

The incident happened in Ostia, a coastal district of Rome, Italy, where the woman said she had been a regular customer of the restaurant and beach club for about a month. It was reported on 31st August.

Receipt shows EUR 1 charge for charging a customer's phone in Ostia, Italy, on 31 August 2025. The customer called it "rock bottom". Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Monica Fox/Newsflash/NX)

The woman posted on Facebook that her phone had gone completely flat and she asked for it to be charged.

She said she was told it would cost EUR 0.50 (GBP 0.42) for 30 minutes.

When she went back to collect her phone after 42 minutes she found the receipt showed a charge of EUR 1 (GBP 0.85).

She shared a photo of the receipt online with the comment "we've hit rock bottom."

Picture shows the receipt for the pizza, undated. Swimmer Elena Di Liddo said she was charged for removing ingredients from the pizza in Bisceglie, Italy. Note: Private photo. (@elledili93/Newsflash/NX)

The case is the latest in a string of controversies in Italy where restaurants have added charges for minor services, including cutting a croissant in half or leaving tomatoes off a pizza.

The post quickly spread across social media, particularly in local neighbourhood groups.

Some users criticised the restaurant for charging what they said should have been a courtesy.

One comment said: "She wasn't asking to charge an electric car, but a cell phone."

Others defended the establishment, saying the customer had been told the price in advance and that a proper receipt had been issued.

(Mike Leidig / newsX)