Hidden fees begone: What to know about the 'Junk Fees Rule' on Ticketmaster, Airbnb and more
Now, you'll know exactly how much tickets will cost before entering the checkout process. Concertgoers will no longer incur service fees or hidden fees. The same goes for hotel pricing and short-term vacation rentals. No more hidden service, cleaning or destination fees.
The new price transparency comes as the Biden-era Federal Trade Commission "Junk Fees Rule" went into effect on May 12.
The rule requires event ticket sellers, hotels and short-term lodging providers to provide up-front price disclosures to consumers, according to the Consumer Federation of America. The Junk Fees Rule is meant to ban deceptive bait-and-switch activity that drives up prices.
It does not prohibit fees but makes those extra charges more transparent for customers.
Junk fees are also known as surprise fees or hidden fees.
Examples of junk fees in the entertainment and hospitality industries may include service or processing fees, destination fees, cleaning fees, check-in/out fees and other mandatory charges.
Now, as consumers go to buy a ticket on Ticketmaster, they're met with a pop-up message about the company's new "All In Prices."
But what does that mean?
Fans now see the full cost of their ticket, including all service fees, before adding the tickets to their virtual cart. Ticketmaster lists the face-value price, along with the cost of the service fee. However, customers still won't see taxes added to the price until checkout.
"Ticketmaster has long advocated for all-in pricing to become the nationwide standard so fans can easily compare prices across all ticketing sites, and we commend the FTC for making that a reality," Ticketmaster Chief Operating Officer Michael Wichser said in a May 12 press release.
Guests heading to the Great Smoky Mountains or beyond on summer vacation will now have price transparency on Airbnb. The vacation rental platform introduced its total price display on April 21, days ahead of the FTC rule's mandatory implementation.
Guests can now see the real price of their rental, including fees, from the search function. Customers still can't see the added taxes until the checkout process, according to an Airbnb news release.
"As a leader in pricing transparency, we know that value matters—especially today," said the press release. "With the global rollout of total price display, we're making it easier for guests to better understand the price they'll pay, and for hosts to succeed in a more transparent marketplace."
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What are junk fees? New rule means no hidden fees at Ticketmaster, Airbnb
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