Ticket sale giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster have pledged to display full pricing upfront, eliminating surprise fees during online purchases, following President Joe Biden’s promise to tackle “junk fees” in various industries, the White House announced on Thursday.
Biden made the announcement live Thursday afternoon following a roundtable discussion at the White House, where he hosted representatives from ticketing companies such as Live Nation, which formed a merger with Ticketmaster in 2010, SeatGeek and xBk.
The announcement comes amid Biden’s push to crack down on so-called “junk fees” — hidden costs attached to airline and concert tickets, vacation packages and television and telephone bills — as the president pledged in his State of The Union address to curb them, citing that the fees cost Americans billions of dollars each year. In February, he urged Congress to pass the Junk Fee Prevention Act, and later, in March, he urged states to join in the effort.
“Junk fees are not a matter for the wealthy very much, but they’re a matter for working folks… and they can add hundreds of dollars a month and make it harder for travelers to pay their bills,” the president said during the announcement. “I think it’s just wrong.”
All the participating companies have committed to revamping their price display methods, aiming to eliminate the unpleasant surprise of hidden fees for buyers during the checkout process.
“These private-sector leaders are doing the right thing ― addressing the junk fees that matter to working folks and adopting transparent pricing,” Biden said in a tweet. “It’s time for every industry to join them.”
Live Nation Entertainment has pledged to roll out, starting in September, “upfront all-in pricing” for all tickets for its shows sold through Ticketmaster, showing just one total price before the checkout, the White House said. The change will benefit more than 30 million fans attending events at Live Nation’s more than 200 venues and festivals nationwide.
Additionally, Ticketmaster will introduce an option that enables consumers to view upfront full pricing for all other tickets available on the platform.
“Live Nation is proud to provide fans with a better ticketing buying experience,” said Tom See, Live Nation’s president of venues, in a statement. “We’ll continue advocating for innovations and reforms that protect that amazing connection.”
Other ticketing platforms, such as SeatGeek and xBk, have also pledged to introduce features for consumers to view full pricing.
The roundtable was also joined by Airbnb and the Pablo Center at the Confluence, which have recently introduced their new full-price display features. Additionally, TickPick, DICE and the Newport Festivals Foundation, who have long incorporated all-in pricing as an integral part of their business models, were also present.
Ticketmaster has been under criticism since Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets went on sale. Due to high demand, customers faced website crashes and lengthy wait times throughout the presale. The general sales were finally canceled entirely. The Senate held a hearing on Live Nation’s lack of competition in January and called on the Justice Department to take action.