CUSTOMERS at Dunkin’ have been left fuming over a sneaky and little-known fee.
Several have recently spotted it on receipts during trips to their nearest location, and are now calling the chain out online.
Dunkin’ has come under fire for a little-known fee (stock image)[/caption]
“You should look at your receipt they include a fee called a RETENTION FEE they claim is not a tip for the clerk,” a Rhode Island-based consumer, Alex, wrote in a recent Facebook post.
“But it is just a play on words it is a tip for the clerk,” he argued.
“So not only are they over charging people they expect customers to pay their clerks.”
The Dunkin’ fan further claimed that the retention fees only appear at some of the coffee and donuts brand’s over 9,800 locations nationwide.
A similar incident popped up at a Dunkin’ in New Jersey earlier this month, according to a separate Facebook post.
There was a snapshot of a customer’s receipt included where a 3% “employee benefits & retention charge” could be seen.
They, like Alex, were left stunned and suspected that it could be a way of Dunkin’ passing costs onto consumers rather than attributing appropriate funding for staff benefits.
“It’s not professional and poor customer service,” another Redditor argued in the thread.
“They need to take some of that c-suite bonus and give it to their employees if they are truly concerned about retention. Skimming off my purchases cannot be the strategy.”
Others suggested the fee could be avoided using cash instead of a credit card.
The US Sun has contacted Dunkin’ for more information on the retention fees.
Backlash from it also comes about three years after viral controversy over a 3% “employee wellness” charge spotted on Dunkin’ receipts at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
In a Reddit post from 2022, the bill was $5.95, which included payment for the food, taxes, and a $0.16 cent “wellness” charge.
At the time, some customers claimed the charge was “highly immoral” and “disturbing.”
Surcharge Explained
- What is a surcharge?
An extra percentage or flat fee added to a bill on top of listed prices and tax. - Why do businesses use them?
To cover rising costs such as healthcare, higher wages, or credit card processing. - What is a retention fee?
A charge some restaurants add to fund employee benefit or retention programs. It is not a tip or gratuity. - What was the “wellness” fee?
A similar 3% fee spotted at some Dunkin’ locations in 2022, meant to offset health-related costs. - Who decides?
Often individual franchise owners or local operators, not national corporate policy.
PART OF THE PROGRAM?
Dunkin’ did later confirm that the charge wasn’t a tip but that it went to a franchise-level program that covers healthcare and labor costs.
It’s likely this is the same thing called out in Rhode Island this month.
Still, no nationwide Dunkin’ policy has been confirmed regarding the surcharge.
It appears a franchisee-based move, whether it’s intended to offset increased operating expenses or not.
CONTINUED FEES
Some restaurants have also come under fire this year for fees on receipts that left customers confused.
Someone who went to their local pizzeria and asked for a change after an incorrect order was punished with a b**ching fee worth $5 on their receipt in April.
Several others noticed a “sustainability surcharge” worth about 4.25% on their bills in some instances.
A beloved chain also removed a 50-cent “fee” on a popular breakfast item at all 2,000 locations this summer.
Diners vowed to a boycott a particular restaurant after an 18% “living wage fee” was added to receipts.
