= service sign → 32DA ㋚ circled katakana sa ≈ <square> 30B5 サ
Information
This blue tile with the white katakana character サ is the “service charge” button—aka the emoji you drop when life adds mysterious fees for no reason. On Apple devices it’s a rounded square with a soft blue-to-navy gradient and a crisp, chunky サ centered like a storefront sign; think app-icon chic meets receipt shock. In Japan, サ nods to サービス料 (service charge), so it’s perfect for calling out restaurant surcharges, hotel add‑ons, delivery app “convenience” fees, or that one friend who Venmo-requests 37 cents “for gas.” Online, it delivers big “hidden fees detected” energy—often paired with 💸, 🧾, or a dramatic sigh.
People also use it aesthetically with the other Japanese button emojis (🈵, 🈹, 🈲, 🈺, 🉐) to build retro signage vibes or grid posts. It’s meme-friendly: drop 🈂️ after “Free trial*” or “Tickets from $0” to scream terms-and-conditions chaos. In texts, it can be snarky (corporate paywall moment), playful (charging you for emotional labor, jk… unless?), or simply stylish as a blue tile accent. It hails from old-school Japanese carrier emoji sets, which is why it feels like a tiny shop placard teleported into your chat—cute, square, and suspiciously fee-forward.
Definition
Service Sign; Service Charge; For Free, on the house.
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Emoji History The emoji code/ image log of changes.
This emoji was part of the proprietary / non-standardized emoji set first introduced by Japanese carriers like Softbank. These emojis became part of the Apple iPhone starting in iOS 2.2 as an unlockable feature on handsets sold in English speaking countries.
In iOS 5 / OSX 10.7, the underlying code that the Apple OS generates for this emoji was changed.
Emoji General Information
Twitter Emoji Popularity (Rank)
741 of 2393
Apple/iOS Picture
Google Android Picture
Google Hangouts Picture
Twitter.com Picture
LG Emoji Picture
Samsung Emoji Picture
Phantom Open Emoji Picture
Not created yet
ASCII Conversion
"Short Code" Name
:sa:
Keywords
Previous Names:
Squared Katakana Sa Japanese "Service Charge" Button
Unicode Category Information
Unicode Category
Enclosed Ideographic Supplement
Unicode Range
1F200–1F2FF
Unicode Subcategory
Squared Katakana
Proposed Unicode Information & Notes
Unicode Category
Abstract Concepts
Unicode Subcategory
Square Katakanas
Names & Annotations
SQUARED KATAKANA SA = service sign x (circled katakana sa - 32DA) # <square> 30B5 Temporary Notes: サ: KATAKANA LETTER SA; service charge; for free, on the house;
