NY woman orders an $11 chicken sandwich at the JFK Shake Shack. Then she notices a 48-cent charge on her receipt and realizes what it covers

A New York traveler at the JFK Airport Shake Shack recently discovered a mysterious 48-cent charge on her receipt, highlighting the complex world of airport pricing, BroBible reports. TikTok user Zoey, who goes by the handle @sunshineflowers970, shared her experience in a video that has already gained over 15,000 views. She pointed out that she paid $11 for a chicken sandwich and $5 for fries, but the receipt included a specific line item labeled EMP BEN for 48 cents.

Zoey expressed her annoyance regarding the additional charge, stating, “Shake Shack not only charges $11 for a chicken sandwich and $5 for fries, but now wants us to pay 48 cents for employee benefits.” She also noted that she was prompted to tip for the service of having an employee hand her the bag, which contributed to an $18 total bill for a meal that did not even include a drink. She concluded her video by saying, “I just think it’s getting really out of hand.”

You might wonder why a fast-food chain would add a line item like this to a bill. The reality is that this specific location is operated by a company called SSP rather than Shake Shack directly. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey maintains strict regulations on what businesses can charge at airports.

It is frustrating to see extra fees pile up when you are already paying premium airport prices

Generally, these businesses are only allowed to charge up to 15 percent above comparable street prices. Beyond that limit, the Port Authority permits airport concessionaires to add a surcharge of up to 3 percent. This fee is officially called an Employee Benefits and Retention Surcharge and is applied to a customer’s pre-tax bill. According to the Port Authority, this measure was implemented to help companies offset high operating costs associated with rising labor and benefit prices.

There is a common misconception that this money goes directly into the pockets of the staff. While the name of the fee implies it covers employee benefits, there is no language in the legislation requiring that the money collected be passed on to workers on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

It is possible for a company to face fraud allegations if the money is not used in some capacity to provide employee benefits, but there is no mechanism to directly account for how the funds are spent. Interestingly, workers at this Shake Shack location do appear to receive full benefits. According to an Indeed job listing, team members at this restaurant can expect health insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, vision insurance, and dental insurance.

This situation has ignited a debate among consumers who are increasingly scrutinizing their receipts for unexpected charges. Many people in the comments section of the video expressed their frustration with the idea of paying a separate fee to help companies cover basic operational costs.

One user asked, “If they are adding benefits to the employees separately then what are they paying them?! Just straight pay only?” Another commenter pointed out the contradiction in consumer expectations, writing, “So you want employers to pay for employee benefits, but YOU don’t want to pay the extra cost for your items that you know that will cause. Got it.”

A third user simply exclaimed, “That should be illegal! how are these places getting away with these kind of charges!”