Vynce breakdown · the hidden-fee test

Which half were you?

In 2015 a ticket site split millions of shoppers in two at random. One half saw the full price from the first screen. The other half saw a smaller number, and the fees at checkout. Buy a seat below and find out which half you just landed in.

Your board

Pick a seat. Prices are per ticket.

Seat$0
Service fee (15%) + delivery$0
Total$0

Why the hidden half spent more

You choose the seat while looking at the small number. By checkout, it already feels like yours, so the fees rarely send you back. In the real test the hidden-fee half spent almost 21% more and picked pricier seats closer to the stage. The twist: the site had shown honest all-in prices before, and shoppers wrongly thought it was more expensive, so it lost market share and went back to hidden fees. Since May 12, 2025 a US federal rule makes ticket and hotel sellers show the total price first.

The honest-price layout for your business

The first number a customer sees decides the sale. Make it small and true: your basic option with every required fee already in it. Offer optional upgrades after they pick, and show them before they pay.

Cafe menu

Brunch plate $16
all in, tax and service included
After the order: "Add fresh juice for $4?"

Salon booking page

Cut & style $45
the total you pay, no booking fee
After they pick a time: "Add a gloss for $15?"

Venue ticket page

Tickets $38
all in, fees included
After they pick seats: "Move to the front rows for $20 more?"

Make your own in 3 steps

  1. Add every required fee into your basic price. That total is your first number.
  2. Lead with that one number everywhere: menu, booking page, ads and your Google Business Profile.
  3. Offer the extras after the customer picks, clearly priced, before they pay.

Want it done on your own site or listing? Send it to @vynce.digital

Sources

Blake, Moshary, Sweeney & Tadelis, "Price Salience and Product Choice", NBER Working Paper 25186 (2018), published in Marketing Science 40(4), 2021: StubHub's experiment, Aug 19-31, 2015, several million users, back-end fee users spent almost 21% more. FTC, Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, 90 FR 2066 (effective May 12, 2025), including StubHub's 2014 all-in pricing and lost market share. FTC press release, April 9, 2026 (a settlement of alleged violations; no admission). This page is an illustration with made-up prices; it is not StubHub's site and is not affiliated with StubHub. Not legal advice: check the rules where you sell.