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Home › Pay › Nickel-and-dime tactics › Drip pricing
Prices that hide or grow

Prices that keep growing at checkout

Drip pricing is when a company shows you a low price first and adds required fees later, often on the last screen before you pay. By then you have spent time choosing and may feel locked in. Some new rules now require an all-in price for certain businesses, but the practice is still common in many places.

Where you’ll see it

Resort and destination feesMany hotels have added a nightly resort or destination fee to the room rate. Under the FTC's fees rule, lodging providers must now include mandatory fees in the price they show up front.
Ticket service and facility feesConcert and sports ticket sites have long added service, facility, and processing fees at checkout. Under the FTC's fees rule, the advertised ticket price must now include required fees the seller knows about.
Food delivery service feesMany delivery apps show menu prices first, then add service fees, delivery fees, and small order fees as you check out. The final total can be far more than the food alone.
Apartment application and amenity feesSome landlords advertise a monthly rent, then add required fees for things like trash, amenities, or technology. The real monthly cost only shows up in the lease or on the bill.
Rental car add-on feesMany car rental quotes grow at the counter or checkout with airport fees, facility charges, and other required items. Some are government charges, while others are set by the company.
Online processing and handling feesSome online sellers add a handling or processing fee on the last page, separate from shipping. It is a required charge that was not part of the price you saw while shopping.

What it really costs them

Many dripped fees pay for things that are simply part of running the business, such as the pool, the ticket website, or the app. Those are real costs, but they belong in the price, just like rent and wages do. Splitting them out makes the starting price look lower than it really is.

Some fees are set by the government, like taxes, and some, like shipping, change with your order. Those can fairly be added later if they are clearly explained. The problem is required business fees that are kept out of sight until you are almost done.

How to spot it

  • The price says from, starting at, or per night without saying plus fees.
  • A small asterisk or plus symbol sits next to the price.
  • The total only appears after you enter your details.
  • Fees have vague names like service, facility, convenience, or amenity fee.
  • A countdown timer pushes you to pay before reviewing the total.

What you can do

  1. Go all the way to the final screen and compare totals, not starting prices.
  2. Ask directly: What is the total I will pay, including all required fees?
  3. Take a screenshot of the price shown, in case it changes later.
  4. Choose sellers that show the full price up front.
  5. Ask a hotel or seller to remove a fee you were not told about.
  6. Report hidden required fees to the FTC or your state attorney general.
Things you can say:
  • “What is the total I will pay, with every required fee included?”
  • “Was this fee shown in the price you advertised?”
  • “Can you remove a fee I was not told about?”

Rules and your rights

The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect May 12, 2025. It covers live-event tickets and short-term lodging, such as hotels and vacation rentals, and requires the upfront price to include all required fees the seller knows about. California's SB 478, effective July 1, 2024, and Minnesota's price transparency law, effective January 1, 2025, apply all-in pricing to most businesses, with some exceptions such as taxes and shipping.

Related common problems

Related guides

Common questions

What is drip pricing?

Drip pricing is when a business advertises a low price and then adds required fees during checkout. The fees drip in one at a time, so the final total is higher than the first number you saw. Resort fees and ticket service fees are two of the best-known examples.

Are hotel resort fees still allowed?

Hotels may still charge mandatory fees, but under the FTC's fees rule, in effect since May 12, 2025, the price they show up front must include required fees they know about. If a hotel added a required fee you were not shown at the start, ask to have it removed and consider reporting it to the FTC.

Does the FTC junk fee rule apply to restaurants and airlines?

No. The FTC's fees rule covers live-event tickets and short-term lodging. Restaurants and airlines are not covered by it, though other laws may apply. Some states, including California and Minnesota, have their own pricing laws that reach many more businesses, with special rules for restaurants.

Had this happen? Sharing what you were charged helps others spot it.

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Sources: FTC: What the Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees means for you ↗ · California Attorney General: SB 478 Hidden Fees ↗ · Minnesota Attorney General: Price Transparency Law FAQ ↗

General consumer information, not legal or financial advice. Practices and prices change; check the business’s current terms. AblePro has no relationship with any company named here.