A price shown early in an online checkout may not be the amount you will pay. Mandatory charges can appear only after you have chosen a ticket, room, or other purchase, while optional add-ons and interface design can make it harder to see what is required. The practical test is to compare the first advertised price with the final amount due—and to distinguish a genuinely optional extra from a fee you cannot avoid.
How late fees change the price you see
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) calls it drip pricing when a seller advertises only part of a total price and adds mandatory charges later in the buying process. A late fee can make offers harder to compare: shoppers may spend time selecting an item or service before learning its full cost, and that investment can make abandoning the purchase less likely.
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In a 2022 staff report, the FTC summarized a study comparing a ticketing website that disclosed mandatory fees upfront with one that did not. In that study, shoppers shown fees later spent about 20% more and were 14% more likely to complete the transaction. Those results describe that particular study, not a guaranteed effect across every kind of online purchase. FTC staff report, September 2022.
What counts as a dark pattern—and what does not
“Dark patterns” is a broad term for design practices that can obscure, subvert, or impair consumer choice. The FTC’s examples include hidden costs and drip pricing, visual misdirection, pressure upsells, disguised advertisements, difficult subscription cancellation, and interfaces that induce unauthorized charges. The label alone does not establish that a particular practice is unlawful.
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A fee or upsell is not automatically deceptive. To assess what is happening, ask whether the charge is mandatory, when it is disclosed, whether its description is accurate, and how clearly the interface presents the choice. A clearly labeled optional extra is different from a mandatory charge presented as optional or revealed only at the last moment.
What the FTC fee rule covers in the United States
The FTC’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, 16 C.F.R. Part 464, took effect May 12, 2025. It covers businesses offering, displaying, or advertising live-event tickets and short-term lodging. That includes third-party platforms, resellers, travel agents, websites, and apps.
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Prices that must appear upfront
When a covered business advertises a price, the upfront total must include charges that are known and calculable at that point, including mandatory goods or services required to complete the transaction. The total price must be more prominent than other pricing information.
Charges that may be left out initially
The rule allows government charges, shipping, and optional ancillary goods or services to be excluded from the initial total. Before asking for payment, the business must disclose an excluded charge’s nature, purpose, and amount. It must then display the final amount, including those charges, at least as prominently as the total price.
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Fee descriptions must be truthful and specific about what a charge is for. Vague labels such as “convenience fee,” “service fee,” or “processing fee” are not enough on their own to explain the charge’s purpose. The FTC FAQ is staff guidance and does not bind the Commission. FTC rule FAQ, May 2025.
What the rule does not cover
The 2025 rule is not a rule for every online purchase. The FTC says businesses in other industries remain subject to longstanding prohibitions on deceptive fees and pricing, but the agency has pursued drip pricing and misleading fees there case by case. Federal, state, and local requirements may also apply; the rule alone does not determine the lawfulness of an individual charge or checkout flow. FTC rule announcement, December 2024.
How to compare checkout totals before paying
- Record the first price. Note the amount advertised or shown when you begin comparing offers.
- Track each added charge. As you proceed, identify whether each item is mandatory or optional, and whether you selected it.
- Check the explanation. Look for the fee’s purpose and amount rather than relying on a generic label.
- Review the last screen before payment. Compare the final amount due with the initial price and look for preselected extras or choices that are difficult to see.
- Compare final totals across sellers. The first price is not a sound basis for comparison if the included charges differ.
For tickets and short-term lodging offered in the United States, also check whether the advertised all-in price is the most prominent price and whether any permitted excluded charge is disclosed before the payment prompt. These checks help identify confusing pricing; they do not prove a fee is illegal or mean every checkout must follow the ticket-and-lodging rule.
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Why visibility and presentation matter
A disclosure can be technically present yet difficult to notice. Placement, contrast, prominence, and the timing of a fee can affect whether a shopper can assess the real price and make an informed choice. The FTC staff report also emphasizes whether disclosures are perceptible to their intended audience, including people with low vision and older consumers.
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What the available figures do—and do not—show
In a review announced in 2024, the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network examined 642 websites and mobile apps offering subscription services from January 29 through February 2, 2024. Officials from 27 authorities in 26 countries participated. Nearly 76% of the reviewed sites and apps showed at least one possible dark pattern, and nearly 67% showed multiple possible dark patterns. The review did not determine that the identified practices were unlawful, and its findings concern sampled subscription services—not how often late fees appear across online checkouts generally. FTC announcement of the review, August 2024.
The FTC also estimated in 2024 that its ticketing and lodging rule could save consumers up to 53 million hours per year, equivalent to more than $11 billion over the next decade. Those figures are projected benefits, not measured savings already delivered. The FTC reported receiving more than 12,000 comments in the initial process and more than 60,000 additional comments after proposing the rule; those counts describe rulemaking participation, not the prevalence of fees or the amount of consumer harm. FTC announcement, December 2024.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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