zhè shì shǒuxùfèi.

Because 这 here is acting as a pronoun, meaning this by itself.

• 这是手续费。 = This is a handling fee / service fee.
• 这个 is usually used when 这 directly modifies a noun:
  • 这个苹果 = this apple

In 这是手续费, 这 is not directly attached to a noun. It stands alone as this, so 这 is correct.

Measure words are usually needed when 这 comes before a noun:

• 这个人 = this person
• 这本书 = this book

But in 这是手续费, 这 does not come before a noun. It stands alone and means this, so no measure word is needed.

If you wanted to say this handling fee, you would normally need a measure word, for example:

• 这笔手续费 = this handling fee

Here 笔 is a common measure word for sums of money or financial charges.

It follows a very common Chinese pattern:

• 这 = this
• 是 = is
• 手续费 = handling fee / service charge / transaction fee

So the structure is:

subject + 是 + noun

This is one of the most basic Chinese sentence patterns, used to identify or label something.

Examples:

• 这是老师。 = This is a teacher.
• 这是菜单。 = This is a menu.
• 这是手续费。 = This is a handling fee.

Normally, no. In this kind of identification sentence, 是 is needed.

• 这是手续费。 sounds complete and natural.
• 这手续费。 by itself sounds incomplete in most situations.

Chinese sometimes drops words in casual speech, but for a basic sentence meaning This is X, you should keep 是.

手续费 usually means a fee charged for handling, processing, or carrying out a transaction.

Common situations include:

• bank transfers
• ticket changes
• payment processing
• administrative procedures
• booking or cancellation charges

It often has the sense of handling fee, processing fee, or transaction fee, depending on context.

It is not exactly the same as every kind of service fee in English, because it often refers specifically to a fee for completing a procedure or transaction.

Partly, but it is better to learn it as a whole word.

• 手续 = formalities, procedures
• 费 = fee, charge

So 手续费 is basically a fee for the procedures/handling.

The individual characters are not the best way to guess the meaning:

• 手 literally means hand
• 续 can mean continue

But in this word, what matters is the compound 手续, not the literal meaning of each character separately.

So treat 手续费 as a fixed vocabulary item.

The pinyin is:

zhè shì shǒu xù fèi

Tones:

• 这 zhè — 4th tone
• 是 shì — 4th tone
• 手 shǒu — 3rd tone
• 续 xù — 4th tone
• 费 fèi — 4th tone

A natural rhythm is:

zhè shì | shǒuxùfèi

A few pronunciation tips:

• zh is not the same as English j. Curl your tongue slightly back.
• sh is also retroflex, with the tongue slightly curled back.
• shǒu is a 3rd tone, but in normal speech it is often pronounced as a low tone rather than a full dip.
• The last two syllables, xù fèi, are both sharp falling tones.

Not exactly.

• 手续费 = handling fee, processing fee, transaction fee
• 服务费 = service fee, charge for service

The difference is mainly in nuance:

• 手续费 is common for banking, paperwork, ticketing, and administrative transactions.
• 服务费 is more about paying for service provided, such as in hotels or restaurants.

So if a bank charges you for making a transfer, 手续费 is the better word.

Chinese does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

So:

• 这是手续费。 can mean This is a handling fee or This is the handling fee, depending on context.

Chinese relies much more on context than English does for this kind of distinction.

That is very normal, and learners should get used to not looking for a direct equivalent of English articles.

A person might say this when pointing out a charge on a bill, form, or bank statement.

For example:

• a bank clerk explaining a transfer charge
• a cashier showing an extra fee
• a customer asking about a listed charge
• someone pointing to a line on a receipt

It often sounds like:

• This is the handling fee.
• This charge is the transaction fee.

So it is a practical, real-world sentence, especially in financial or administrative contexts.

It is neutral.

• 这 and 是 are basic everyday words.
• 手续费 is standard vocabulary often used in business, banking, travel, and customer service.

So the whole sentence is natural in both spoken and written Chinese, especially in practical situations involving money or procedures.

Yes, but it changes the nuance slightly.

• 这是手续费。 = This is the handling fee.
• 这是一笔手续费。 = This is a handling fee / This is one handling-fee charge.

Adding 一笔 emphasizes that it is a specific charge or sum of money.

Because 手续费 is a money-related item, 笔 is a common measure word in this context. But in many situations, the shorter 这是手续费 is the most natural way to label the charge.