Ticketmaster to announce all-in pricing option during Biden junk fees meeting

U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting executives from Live Nation, Airbnb and other companies at the White House on Thursday to highlight his administration's push to end so-called junk fees that surprise consumers.

Live Nation, which is based in Beverly Hills, Calif., is announcing at the White House that it will provide customers with upfront all-in pricing for its owned venues by September, and that Ticketmaster will give consumers the option to view all-in pricing up front for other venues on the live-entertainment tickets platform.

Biden prioritized the effort to combat surprise or undisclosed fees in his State of the Union address and has called for legislation, regulation and private sector action to end them. At Thursday's event, Biden was set to announce actions by companies that have eliminated or plan to eliminate those surprise fees.

SeatGeek, based in New York, will also unveil features to make it easier to browse for tickets with the true cost displayed. Airbnb, based in San Francisco, rolled out its all-in pricing tool in December, after Biden first called on companies to stop hiding fees.

The consumer advocacy push is part of the Democratic president's pitch to voters ahead of his 2024 re-election bid that government can help improve their lives in big and small ways.

"President Biden has been working to lower costs for hard-working families by bringing down inflation, capping insulin prices for seniors and eliminating hidden junk fees," National Economic Council director Lael Brainard said in a statement.

"More companies are heeding the president's call so that Americans know what they're paying for up front and can save money as a result."