Pressure Works: President Biden Delivers Relief For Millions On Hidden Junk Fees

President Biden has recognized the actions of private sector ticketing and travel companies to eliminate hidden junk fees and provide millions of customers with transparent pricing. Junk fees, which are hidden, surprise fees that companies sneak onto customer bills, are a pervasive problem in industries across the economy. The President has been calling on federal agencies, Congress, and private companies to take action to address these fees and provide consumers with honest, transparent pricing. Today, the President announced actions by several companies in response to that call.

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Representatives from Live Nation, SeatGeek, xBk, Airbnb, the Pablo Center at the Confluence, TickPick, DICE, and the Newport Festivals Foundation joined the President to discuss their commitment to end surprise fees by fully disclosing fees to consumers upfront, according to a fact sheet provided to PoliticusUSA by the White House. These companies service millions of consumers each year, all of whom will receive a better shopping experience without surprise fees imposed at check-out.

The companies that are making new commitments will improve the purchasing experience for tens of millions of customers annually. For example, Live Nation is committing to roll out an upfront all-in pricing experience in September showing just one clear, total price for more than 30 million fans who attend shows at the more than 200 Live Nation-owned venues and festivals across the country. Additional commitments include SeatGeek, xBk, Airbnb, the Pablo Center at the Confluence, TickPick, DICE, and the Newport Festivals Foundation.

The Administration has also taken a number of administrative actions to address junk fees in every sector of the economy, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Today’s voluntary actions demonstrate that companies both big and small recognize the importance of providing consumers with honest, up-front all-in pricing, rather than tricking them with surprise fees at the end of checkout. It is also just a first step towards addressing junk fees in the economy. The President continues to call on Congress to pass legislation that mandates up-front all-in pricing for all ticket sellers, bans surprise “resort fees,” eliminates early termination fees charged by cable, internet, and cellphone companies, and bans family seating fees.