Hidden Ticketing Fees No More

A new law ushers in a new era for ticket buyers.

Are you ready for it? That $50 ticket that somehow becomes $100 by the time you check out thanks to service fees, facility charges, order processing fees and the like will be no more thanks to a new state law eliminating hidden fees from online ticketing sites like Ticketmaster and SeatGeek going into effect April 1.* 

In essence, ticket sellers and resellers will be required to disclose the total price for all tickets—think concert, sporting event and other live performance—up front.

“We have long advocated for a nationwide all-in pricing mandate and were pleased to see this law go into effect in North Carolina,” says a spokesperson for Ticketmaster—which, after merging with Live Nation in 2010, has become the seller of 70% of tickets for major U.S. concerts. “Not only are Live Nation and Ticketmaster following the law in North Carolina, Live Nation venues and festivals showcase all-in pricing across the country.” 

The law comes after the infamous Taylor Swift Eras tour ticket debacle of 2022—not to mention ticketing issues for other artists like Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Oasis and Sabrina Carpenter—that sparked backlash against Live Nation and Ticketmaster (cue Zach Bryan’s All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster). 

Even before the Swiftie scandal, hidden fees have long been a source of contention with major ticket sellers luring people in with seemingly low prices only to jack up the price at checkout—in turn resulting in sellers who display the full price up front losing out on sales. But, it’s important to note that Ticketmaster and other sellers aren’t the only ones to blame for the added costs—see: venues, credit card companies and artist greed. 

“Consumers deserve full information when deciding how to spend their hard-earned money. Protecting North Carolinians, including their wallets, is a top priority. People are struggling with rising costs, and more information is one way to address sticker shock. My office saw a problem, and we worked to fix it. More transparency is always a win for customers.” —Josh Stein

To combat the ticket crisis, politicians across the country have been hard at work for years, with states like Tennessee, Connecticut and New York already mandating “all-in pricing”—and Minnesota’s “Taylor Swift bill” (aka House File 1989) also goes into effect Jan. 1. Locally, NC Attorney General and Governor-elect Josh Stein joined a group of fellow AGs in early 2024 in support of a Federal Trade Commission rule aiming to rid deceptive pricing that has gouged billions of dollars from customers every year. 

Thanks to the shift, the war is over. In January, you’ll no longer see one price at the start, only to be confronted with a significantly higher total at checkout, says Stein. He also notes that added transparency will encourage price competition among ticket sellers, so consumers may even see lower overall costs for tickets to events. 

“I was pleased to work with legislators of both parties to protect people’s money and help them make informed decisions about their purchases,” emphasizes Stein. “Artists are also excited about these new requirements because they want their fans to have the best experience.” And so, finally, we can say goodbye to too good to be true pricing.  

Bill Breakdown

• Ticket sellers and resellers must disclose all fees up front before the transaction is complete.
• The total price of the ticket initially displayed shall not be increased during the ticketing session.
• Delivery charges and taxes are not required to be displayed with the all-in price.

Pro Tip: You can head to the in-person box office at venues like Martin Marietta, Red Hat Amphitheater, Walnut Creek, The Ritz and Lenovo Center to purchase tickets with reduced fees.

The War on Fees

March 2023: Congress introduces the Junk Fee Prevention Act, which states businesses must display the total price, including mandatory fees, upon first showing the price.

June 2023: Ticketmaster, Live Nation and SeatGeek say they will commit to all-in pricing.

November 2023: The FTC proposes the Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, aka the “Junk Fee” rule that “prohibits unfair or deceptive practices relating to fees.”

December 2023: The U.S. Senate introduces the Fans First Act requiring sellers to disclose the full ticket price, including all fees.

May 2024: The Justice Department sues Live Nation-Ticketmaster for monopolization.

Jan. 1, 2025: New NC law goes into effect.

*The date the law takes effect was moved from Jan. 1 to April 1 after the North Carolina House overrode Cooper’s veto of SB 382 on Dec. 11, 2024.