The FTC fee rule for live-event venues, ticket sellers and short-term rentals
Last reviewed 17 Oct 2026. Draft pending legal review. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and have exceptions; check your own situation with a lawyer.
In short: Since 12 May 2025, US live-event tickets and short-term lodging must show the total price, with all mandatory fees, whenever a price is shown.
Who it covers
The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (16 CFR Part 464) took effect on 12 May 2025. Its pricing part covers businesses that offer, show or advertise prices for:
- live-event tickets: concerts, sports, theatre and other live performances (film screenings and pre-recorded shows generally are not covered), and
- short-term lodging: hotels, motels, inns, vacation rentals and home shares, including stays booked through platforms (long-term rentals are not covered).
It applies online, in apps and in person, to the business itself and to third-party platforms, resellers and travel agents. It protects business buyers as well as individuals. Attractions that are not live events, such as trampoline parks or museums, are outside this rule but may be covered by state laws.
What it asks for
- Show the total price whenever you show a price. The total includes every mandatory fee or charge the customer has to pay. Government charges (such as taxes), shipping charges and truly optional add-ons may be left out of it.
- Make the total price the most prominent price. You may itemize fees, but a lower base price or "from" price should not stand out more than the total.
- Before asking for payment, say what any charge left out of the total is for and how much it is, and show the final amount at least as prominently as the total price.
- Don't misrepresent fees: not their amount, purpose or refundability. The FTC asks businesses to say what a fee is for, rather than using vague names like "service fee", "convenience fee" or "processing fee". A business fee should not be presented as a tax.
A fee counts as mandatory if customers must pay it, can't reasonably avoid it (for example, a card surcharge when there is no other practical way to pay), or would only avoid it by unticking a pre-selected box.
Problems we often see in checkouts
- A cleaning or service fee that appears only after the nightly rate, on the last step.
- Listing or search cards that show "from $X per night" without the mandatory fees.
- A per-ticket service or processing fee added at checkout.
- A card fee added to every online order when no fee-free way to pay is offered.
- A headline nightly price that differs from the nightly rate actually charged.
- A business fee listed under "taxes and fees" as if it were a tax.
Quick self-check
- Open your own booking page in a private browser window. Is the first price you see the amount a customer will actually pay, apart from taxes?
- Check every place a price appears: search results, listing cards, calendars, ads and partner sites.
- Compare the first price with the total on the last page before payment, and list every line in between.
- Check again after your booking system or ticketing platform changes its pages.
Why it matters
The FTC can seek civil penalties for each violation of a trade regulation rule, and money back for customers. Several states have their own all-in price laws on top of the FTC rule; see the California guide.
Check your own checkout
We walk your checkout like a customer, from the first price to the total before payment, and show you the fees that were not in the first price, with dated screenshots reviewed by a person. Not yet available for businesses in Quebec.
Sources
- FTC, Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: Frequently Asked Questions
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 16 CFR Part 464