In a rare win for consumers, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, requiring booking websites for hotels, vacation rentals, and concert and sports tickets to disclose all mandatory fees in advertised prices.

Instead of surprising customers at checkout by adding “service fees,” “convenience fees,” or “resort fees,” companies must include these costs upfront and in search results.

“The goal of this rule is to facilitate comparison shopping and informed consumer choices, so that consumers can make informed decisions about where they stay during their travel and which live event tickets they wish to purchase,” said Annette Soberats, an attorney in the FTC’s division of advertising practices.

Hidden fees are a hot-button issue for cons

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