Ever since I tried paying for a drink during my first time on the station, I always found it weird that everything (except the vending machines) was absolutely free. Anyone would think that a company like NanoTrasen wouldn't just give away drinks, gourmet meals, cybernetics, surgeries, library services, entertainment, haircuts and any professional equipment you took with yourself when leaving the station. The possibilities to explain this that I can think of are:
NanoTrasen deducts all expenses from your wage. The problem here is that most characters probably don't have a big enough wage to pay for everything and NanoTrasen is also a loan-shark business which will break your knees (probably why IPCs spare no expense at the bar) if you don't pay back or the wage is huge and that the people who work at NT are the highest of society.
NanoTrasen is similar to a very large mafia where everyone is family. supplemental quote: "Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this free buffet as a gift on your employment to NT."
Employees of NT have the best trade union. Like the best ever. Seriously.
NanoTrasen is actually a very amiable and compassionate company who truly care about their employees (feels bad for listing as "hate" or "dislike", huh)
NanoTrasen's accountants have accidentally added a couple extra 0's to the amount used for employee luxuries
NanoTrasen does charge everything, but no one ever reports any purchases of items on the station and thus no one is charged.
I think we need to settle this matter once and for all. Comment what you think.