The Era of Hidden Ticket Fees Is Ending
Anyone who’s ever bought concert or sports tickets online knows the drill—you pick your seats, get ready to pay, then bam: the total jumps by 25% with mystery fees. People have grumbled about this for years, but now things are finally changing for the better. SeatGeek and StubHub are shaking up the game, now showing customers the full ticket price, service fees and all, right up front.
This change kicks in as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rolls out tough new rules targeting what’s called ‘junk fees’—those extra costs tacked on at the very last step. Starting May 14, 2025, the updated rules force online marketplaces that sell event tickets, hotel rooms, and even short-term rentals to list every unavoidable fee before you even click “Buy.” While taxes and delivery charges might still be added at the end, the big shockers, the service fees, are impossible to miss now.
Industry Players Fall in Line
Ticketmaster was the first big name to signal it would follow the FTC’s lead, but it didn’t take long for competitors to join. Both SeatGeek and StubHub, giants in the secondary market, have moved swiftly to match the all-in pricing standard. Not to be left out, Vivid Seats and several other platforms confirmed they’re also complying. The result? The days of comparing tickets across websites and being blindsided at the last minute are numbered.
Why the sudden rush to play nice? For years, buyers have accused ticketing platforms of playing dirty—using low upfront prices to lure fans in, only to jack up the final cost with opaque service fees or processing charges. The FTC’s update doesn’t just clamp down on ticket sellers but also wraps in hotels and rental sites that pull the same trick. The goal? Build trust back into the marketplace by making apples-to-apples comparisons possible.
Consumer advocacy groups—think groups like Consumer Reports and the National Consumers League—are giving this move two thumbs up. They’ve argued that consumers deserve transparency, especially when tickets for big-name events now regularly top $100 or more. No more guessing games, just straightforward pricing that should help buyers budget for nights out or weekend getaways.
Ticketing companies, meanwhile, are signaling a new era of competition—one where nobody gains an unfair edge by hiding the true cost of tickets. By having everyone play by the same rules, companies can now focus on improving customer experience, better technology, and smarter partnerships.
This new model may even prompt creative pricing and discounts as companies woo buyers who were once turned off by the old fee structures. One thing is clear—the way Americans buy live event tickets just got a lot less stressful and a lot more transparent.
