A woman found a 3% surcharge for employee benefits on a $21.99 book receipt at JFK Airport, then says the workers told her they get nothing from it

A traveler recently discovered a mysterious 3% surcharge on a receipt after buying a book at the Bryant Park Market in New York’s JFK Airport, the BroBible reports. This specific charge appeared on top of the book price of $21.99 and the standard taxes, catching the customer off guard. 

TikTok user Bryce Gruber brought attention to this specific incident in a video that has gained thousands of views. She points out that people need to be checking receipts for everything, everywhere. When reviewing the receipt from the airport bookstore, Gruber noted a line of text that explains the extra cost. She reads, “A 3% surcharge has been applied to your purchase. This charge is for employee and retention programs and is not a gratuity.”

This phrasing is particularly strange because the store does not seem to make the policy clear to shoppers before they reach the register. Gruber notes that she was at the airport just a few days ago and saw no signage regarding this extra cost, which left her confused. 

Employees are reportedly not getting any benefits

She even took the time to ask employees if they actually received any special benefits or programs because of this 3% fee. According to Gruber, they all said no. She also notes that this is not a standard credit card processing fee, which leaves many wondering where that extra money is actually going.

The incident sparked a wave of responses from people online who are tired of seeing unexpected charges on their bills. One commenter shared a frustrating experience at a restaurant where they were hit with an automatic 20% gratuity. They demanded the charge be removed, and the business only agreed to take it off after the customer threatened to walk out without paying. 

Another person described a similar situation at a brewery in Dumbo, where the server presented a payment machine with the tip page already open to hide the fact that a gratuity was already added to the total. Another user mentioned seeing a similar charge at an LGA Starbucks, questioning why customers should be responsible for funding company employee retention programs.