Ahead of the 2025/26 NFL season, the FTC is giving ticket sellers with a warning – stop hitting customers with hidden additional fees during the checkout process.
This week, the FTC sent a letter to StubHub, saying that the company may be violating the Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (Fees Rule) from May 12. The rule requires businesses, including those selling event tickets and short-term lodging, to be transparent with pricing by showing customer the total price upfront, rather than adding on extra mandatory fees during the checkout process.
As the letter says, the rule defines total price as “the maximum total of all fees or charges a consumer must pay for any good(s) or service(s) and any mandatory ancillary good or service, except that government charges, shipping charges, and fees or charges for any optional ancillary good or service may be excluded.”
The letter references an article from Sportico, which reports that StubHub has not been complying with the new transparent pricing rule, specifically for NFL game tickets. “While most of StubHub’s non-NFL listings appeared to make the switch alongside the new rules, many of the group’s NFL listings are taking longer to adjust,” the article says. Shortly after that article was published, StubHub began updating pricing to include fees.
The FTC is reminding businesses that the rule went into effect on May 12 and they must comply. Failure to comply is a “violation that may be subject to civil penalties,” according to the letter sent to StubHub.
If consumers see a violation of the rule while purchasing tickets, they’re encouraged to report the violation with a dedicated link to receive reports.