No More Fee-nominal Surprises: FTC Bans the Backstage Charges in Live Event Tickets

Starting May 12, 2025, buying concert, sports, or play tickets in the U.S. will be a lot more transparent. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized a new rule banning surprise charges on live event tickets, requiring all sellers-venues, resellers, and online marketplaces-to disclose the full price at purchase time, including all unavoidable fees. This will prevent surprise "processing" or "service" charges at the checkout counter; the price you first see is the price you pay. Government taxes and optional features can be excluded but must be clearly advertised before purchase. The provision attempts to prevent bait-and-switch pricing and make comparison shopping easier for everyone. Ticketing sites and event organizers are now changing their sites to conform to the standards, assuring a more equitable, more transparent ticket-buying experience for all Americans.

 

Source: PCMag, FTC, TechCrunch