The rule is one of the final pieces of President Joe Biden's wide-ranging crackdown on junk fees that drive up consumer costs without providing visible benefits.
"We all know the experience of encountering a hidden fee at the very last stage of checkout — these junk fees sneak onto your bill and companies end up making you pay more because they can.
Those fees add up, taking real money out of the pockets of Americans," Biden said in a statement.
The rule would require service fees, resort fees, and other charges commonly added to bookings to be included in advertised prices.
The rule is narrower than what the FTC proposed in 2023 that would have broadly banned hidden and deceptive fees regardless of industry.
The FTC estimates the rule would save U.S. consumers 53 million hours per year they would not have to spend sleuthing out total costs before making purchases.
Biden's regulators have taken aim at inflated and hidden fees, though their efforts have met with lawsuits by businesses and corporate interest groups. »
