The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it had reached a settlement with StubHub Holdings, Inc., ending a case that accused the ticket seller of advertising live-event tickets without showing the full price up front. Under the stipulated order, StubHub will pay $10 million and must change how it displays prices before shoppers check out.
The agency said the case is its first major settlement under the Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, which took effect May 12, 2025, and covers live-event tickets and short-term lodging. The rule requires businesses to disclose the total price, including mandatory fees or charges, wherever the price appears, and the FTC said StubHub’s conduct also violated Section 5 of the FTC Act.
The commission said StubHub made a strategic decision to delay compliance because a major sporting event’s schedule was being released the same week the fee rule took effect. The order requires the company to clearly and conspicuously disclose the total price, spell out any fees or charges not included in that figure, and explain what those charges are for before the consumer checks out.
The money will be distributed to eligible consumers without claims being filed, a faster path than many restitution cases. StubHub also must keep complying with the fee rule, maintain detailed records, file periodic compliance reports and cooperate with FTC monitoring for up to 10 years.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said the commission is committed to carrying out President Donald Trump’s directive that the agency ensure price transparency at every stage of the ticket-buying process. The settlement closes a test case for the new rule and signals that the commission is prepared to use it quickly against companies it says still obscure the real cost of buying a ticket.
For StubHub, the order leaves no room for the old pricing playbook. The company must show the final payment amount before checkout, and the FTC has now answered the question that mattered most: the government intends to enforce the new fee rule immediately, and it will do so with a penalty that is both public and costly.
