How to avoid ticket fees (2026)

Ticket fees pay the ticketer, the venue and sometimes the promoter. You cannot remove most of them. You can see them before you choose, and you can pick the cheapest final total. This guide explains the federal rule and gives 7 practical tips. We read every source on Oct 20, 2026.

The FTC all-in price rule

The FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, 2025. It covers live-event tickets and short-term lodging. The FTC FAQ says these things:

• The price must include all mandatory fees the business knows about and can calculate upfront.
• The business must display the total price “more prominently than other pricing information”.
• The rule applies to businesses that offer tickets, “including third-party platforms, resellers, and travel agents”.
• Taxes, government charges and shipping can stay out of the first price. Before payment, the seller must add them.
• Optional extras do not have to be in the total. If you choose one, the seller must show it before payment.

The rule does not ban fees and does not cap them. It controls how a seller shows the price.

Enforcement so far

On Apr 9, 2026, StubHub agreed to pay $10 million to settle FTC charges under the rule. The FTC said StubHub left mandatory fees out of price displays on May 12 to 14, 2025. On Sep 18, 2025, the FTC and 7 states sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The FTC press release says mandatory fees can reach 44% of a ticket’s cost. This is an allegation, and the case is not decided.

State law: New York

New York passed its own all-in pricing law in 2022. The New York Department of State says the law took effect on June 30, 2022. It says the total price must show before you select a ticket, and the price “shall not increase during the purchase process”. The one exception is a reasonable delivery fee for paper tickets. We did not review the laws of other states for this guide.

What counts as a mandatory fee

The FTC FAQ gives a simple test. If you cannot avoid a fee, it must be in the total price. So a service fee that every buyer pays is mandatory. A fee for an extra you choose, such as insurance, is optional. Taxes and shipping are a special case: the seller can add them later, but it must show them before it asks you to pay. The FTC notes that its FAQ is staff guidance and does not bind the Commission.

7 ways to pay less in fees

1. Compare the final total, not the first price. Take each site to the last review page before payment. Compare the totals for the same section, row and quantity. The first price can still leave out tax and delivery.
2. Untick optional extras. Under the rule, extras such as ticket insurance do not have to be in the total. If you see them at checkout, remove the ones you do not want.
3. Check the delivery method. Ticketmaster says delivery fees, “if selected”, may be added at checkout. Pick the cheapest delivery that works for you.
4. Check a fee-free resale model. TickPick says “We don’t charge any fees” to buyers. We have not checked a TickPick checkout total yet, so compare it like any other site.
5. Use face-value resale when you can. Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange lets fans sell tickets to other fans “for the original price paid”, for eligible tickets. DICE runs a similar waiting list for some sold-out shows.
6. Read who pays the fee on small-event platforms. Eventbrite says organizers can pass the ticketing fee to you or include it in the ticket price. Posh says its fees are non-refundable, except for some cancelled events and events postponed more than 6 months.
7. Ask the venue box office. Some venues sell tickets at the door or at a box office. We have no data on box office fees, so we cannot say if they cost less. Call the venue and ask.

What we do not claim

We do not publish fee percentages for any site today. Third-party fee estimates often have no stated sample. Our price study will measure checkout totals for the same listing on several sites. We will publish those numbers with the date, the sample size and the screenshots. Until then, the table above lists only what each site says about its own prices.

Fee refunds when a show is cancelled

Fee rules matter again if a show is cancelled. Eventbrite says it refunds its ticketing fees when an event is cancelled. Posh refunds its fees for a cancelled event, or for one postponed more than 6 months, unless the cause was beyond the organizer’s control. Resident Advisor says booking fees are not refundable. Check the refund rule before you pay, if fees are a large part of the price.