Ticketmaster and other companies vow to show all fees upfront following pressure from Biden to end ‘junk fees’

Ashley Nash
·2 min read
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In this 2009 file photo, Ticketmaster tickets and gift cards are shown at a box office in San Jose, Calif. On June 15, 2023 representatives from Ticketmaster and other companies met with the president to discuss the elimination of “junk fees.”
In this 2009 file photo, Ticketmaster tickets and gift cards are shown at a box office in San Jose, Calif. On June 15, 2023 representatives from Ticketmaster and other companies met with the president to discuss the elimination of “junk fees.” | Paul Sakuma, Associated Press

In an attempt to uphold President Joe Biden’s promise of cracking down on “junk fees,” on Thursday the president met with representatives from companies such as Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and Airbnb to discuss the initiative to end unexpected fees, the White House stated.

The news: Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, and other companies present at the meeting committed to being more transparent with their pricing, showing all “hidden” fees upfront as an all-inclusive ticket price, rather than tacking fees on at checkout, NPR reported.

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The White House reported that all 200 Live Nation venues in the U.S. will begin showing “one clear, total price” in September.

This move is part of Biden’s “Junk Fee Protection Act” he proposed in February, which is aimed at eliminating four types of “junk fees.” Such fees include online entertainment fees, such as concerts and sporting events, airline fees, termination fees for internet, phone, and TV services, and surprise resort fees, per CNN.

Details: In December, Airbnb changed its site to display all booking fees upfront as a response to Biden’s call to eliminate hidden fees, according to the White House.

The issue of high ticket prices was at the forefront of many Americans’ minds in November when Taylor Swift fans were faced with “exorbitantly high” tickets for the artist’s Eras Tour, per CNBC.

Fans have taken Ticketmaster to court over Swift tickets, the Deseret News reported, stating that the ticketing site had demonstrated “unlawful conduct,” as fans had waited hours in a cue to purchase tickets, only to be faced with prices over $1,000. The plaintiffs called on Ticketmaster to improve technology to kick “bots” off the site, and to withstand higher user volumes on its website.