Including fees in the headline ticket price with Ticketize

04 Dec 2024 - Ticketize Team

All ticketing platforms charge a platform fee and a payment fee to cover costs of providing the service. At Ticketize all fees are included in the headline price. We explain why:

What is Drip Pricing?

Drip pricing is when extra charges are added to the headline price, making the total cost higher than expected. This is really common in lots of online transactions.

Consumers really don’t like drip pricing. A 2023 Which Report found online shoppers generally had a pessimistic view of drip pricing, with 86% of consumers seeing drip pricing as sneaky and only 10% seeing it as fair.

The report, Estimating the prevalence and impact of online drip pricing was also published in 2023 as part of the UK Government’s inquiry into drip pricing. This report found drip pricing is estimated to cause UK consumers to spend an additional £595 million to £3.5 billion online each year.

Benefits of including fees in the headline ticket price

At Ticketize we have decided to only include the platform and payment fees in the headline ticket price. And in our case, the fees are straightforward and predictable.

There are some very good reasons why we have taken this approach.

1. Consumer protection - the new UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act focuses on making sure online markets are fair for consumers. The Act, which became law in May 2024 prohibits providers from presenting a headline price which does not include any fixed mandatory fees that must be paid by all customers.

2. Transparency matters - imagine buying tickets for an event, only to find surprise charges during checkout. By including platform and payment fees upfront, you avoid this confusion and build trust with attendees.

3. Keeping things simple - most people prefer things to be straightforward. By showing the total cost upfront, attendees can make quicker, more informed decisions without worrying about extra fees.

Including platform and payment fees in ticket prices isn’t just about convenience, it’s about being honest, keeping things simple, and making sure attendees feel good about their purchase.

Why not try Ticketize today…