# Booking fees: should guests pay them? Pros, cons and the price rules in 2026

Published 2026-10-16 by the TicketPa team. Source: https://ticketpa.com/blog/booking-fees-for-guests

A booking fee is an extra charge on a booking, usually a small percentage, that the guest pays on top of the ticket price. Passing your booking software's fee on to guests this way lets you keep your full price. But when every guest must pay it, price rules in the UK, the EU and parts of the US say it belongs in the first price guests see.

This guide explains when passing the fee on makes sense, what the rules say about showing it, and how to show it so no guest feels tricked at checkout. It is written for tours, activities, classes and attractions that take bookings online. Rules and cases were checked on 16 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice, so check the rules where you and your guests are.

## What is a booking fee?

A [booking fee](https://ticketpa.com/glossary#booking-fee) is a charge for making a booking, added to the price. It is usually a percentage of the booking, sometimes a flat amount per order. Ticket sellers and some booking software add one, and some businesses add their own to cover the cost of selling online.

It is easy to mix up with three other charges:

| Charge                                    | What it is                                             | Who pays it                                           |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Booking fee                               | A charge for the booking, added to the guest's price   | The guest, unless the business pays it                |
| [Card fee](https://ticketpa.com/glossary#card-processing-fee) | What the payment provider keeps from each card payment | The business                                          |
| Card surcharge                            | An extra charge for paying by card                     | The guest; banned for personal cards in the UK and EU |
| [Commission](https://ticketpa.com/glossary#commission)        | The share a marketplace keeps from bookings it sends   | The business                                          |

## Who pays the booking fee: three ways to handle it

Say your booking software takes 2% of every online payment and you sell a €50 ticket. You have three options:

| Option                           | Guest pays | You keep | What guests see                            |
| -------------------------------- | ---------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| You pay the fee                  | €50.00     | €49.00   | €50.00                                     |
| You raise your price to cover it | €51.00     | €49.98   | €51.00                                     |
| Guests pay it as a booking fee   | €51.00     | €50.00   | €51.00, or €50.00 plus a €1.00 booking fee |

Card fees from your payment provider come off in every case. They are left out here to keep the sums simple.

Raising your price and passing the fee on look almost the same to the guest. The difference is on your side. A booking fee keeps your own price in your reports, and guests who pay on the day don't pay it, if you let them pay that way.

## Pros and cons of passing the booking fee on

| Pros                                                                   | Cons                                                                   |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| You keep your full price on every online booking                       | Your price looks higher next to competitors who pay the fee themselves |
| The fee follows each booking, so it costs you nothing in a quiet month | Guests who compare with marketplace listings see a higher number       |
| Guests know booking fees from concert and cinema tickets               | One more line to explain at checkout and in refunds                    |
| Guests who pay on the day can skip it, if you offer that               | You must show it the right way, or you risk breaking price rules       |

How much it is worth depends on your volume. At 2%, 300 online bookings a month at €50 is €15,000 in sales and €300 in fees. That is real money for a small business, but it is €1 per booking. For most guests, €1 on a €50 trip is not a reason to leave. A 6% fee, €3 on the same ticket, is easier to notice.

## What the rules say about showing a booking fee

The rule is much the same in the UK, the EU and several US states. If every guest must pay a fee to book, it has to be in the first price they see. Adding it later in checkout, or writing "plus fees" next to a lower price, is called drip pricing, and it is banned. Fees that guests can really avoid may be shown separately, as long as guests see them before they decide.

| Where                    | Rule                                                                      | What it means for a booking fee                                                        |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| UK                       | Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, enforced since April 2025 | Booking fees are named as mandatory charges; they go in every price, "from" prices too |
| EU                       | Unfair Commercial Practices and Consumer Rights directives                | The total price, with every fee guests can't avoid, comes before the purchase          |
| California               | SB 478, since 1 July 2024                                                 | Prices must include all mandatory fees; a "fees not included" note is not enough       |
| Minnesota, Massachusetts | State rules, since January and September 2025                             | Similar: the total price with mandatory fees, up front                                 |
| US, nationwide           | FTC fee rule, since 12 May 2025                                           | Live-event tickets and short-term lodging only                                         |

### United Kingdom

Since 6 April 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can fine businesses itself under the DMCC Act, up to 10% of turnover or £300,000, whichever is greater. Its [price transparency guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/price-transparency-cma209) (CMA209, November 2025) lists "administration fees, however described, such as booking or processing fees" among the mandatory charges that must be in the total price. A fee that covers a cost of your own, such as a supplier you pay, belongs in the headline price too. A fee charged once per booking must be in your "from" prices, even in early adverts.

The CMA's first fine under these powers was about exactly this. On 15 April 2026 it [fined the AA £4.2 million](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-orders-the-aa-and-bsm-driving-schools-to-refund-learner-drivers-over-drip-pricing) and ordered refunds of over £760,000 to more than 80,000 learner drivers, because a £3 booking fee they all had to pay was not in the first price shown online. Small businesses get fined too. In October 2026 the CMA [fined a gym franchise](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-fines-firms-6-million-for-misleading-sales-tactics) with four London gyms £45,000 over a joining fee left out of its prices.

### European Union

EU law says the price in an offer must include taxes and every other charge the customer has to pay. The European Consumer Centres put it simply: "Before making any purchase, you should be able to know the total price of a product or service, all fees and taxes included" ([ECC, March 2026](https://www.europe-consommateurs.eu/en/topics/shopping/prices/display/)). Fees added during checkout without clear information count as a misleading practice. Each country enforces these rules, so the details can differ. The EU plans further rules on drip pricing in a Digital Fairness Act, which the European Commission is expected to propose at the end of 2026.

### United States

There is no single US rule for tours and activities. The FTC's [rule on unfair or deceptive fees](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/rule-unfair-or-deceptive-fees-frequently-asked-questions), in force since 12 May 2025, covers tickets to live events (concerts, sports, theater and other live performances) and short-term lodging. If you sell tickets to a show, it applies to you, and the total price with every mandatory fee must be the most prominent price.

Some states go further. California's [SB 478](https://oag.ca.gov/hiddenfees), in force since 1 July 2024, covers most goods and services sold to consumers. The price you show must include every mandatory fee except government taxes and shipping. The Attorney General says it is not enough to show a lower price and say a fee will be added. Minnesota (since January 2025) and Massachusetts (since September 2025) have similar rules.

### Card surcharges are a separate rule

In the UK and the EU, businesses may not charge extra for paying with a personal debit or credit card. The ban has applied since 13 January 2018, in the EU under the second Payment Services Directive and in the UK under the [Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/3110/regulation/6A). So a booking fee should be a charge for the booking, the same whichever card or wallet the guest pays with.

## When can guests avoid the fee?

A fee is optional only when guests have a real way to book without it. If guests can book online and choose to pay on the day with no fee, they can avoid the fee for paying online now. Show it before they choose, and let them pick. California's Attorney General and the FTC both treat a card fee as optional when guests can pay another way, and as mandatory when paying by card is the only way.

If online payment is the only way to book, every guest pays the fee, so it is mandatory. Put it in the price. The CMA's guidance adds that calling a charge optional, or showing it on its own line, doesn't make it optional when guests can't book without paying it.

## How to show a booking fee: 6 rules

1. **Every guest pays it? Put it in every price.** Ticket prices, "from" prices, adverts and social posts all show the price with the fee in it. A €50 ticket with a 2% fee shows as €51.00.
2. **Guests can avoid it? Say so before they choose.** Next to the price, say what the fee is and how to avoid it, for example: "A 2% booking fee is added when you pay online. Pay on the day and there is no fee."
3. **Call it a booking fee.** Use a plain name that says what it is for. The FTC tells businesses to avoid vague names like "convenience fee" or "service fee", and a fee should never look like a tax.
4. **Break it down at checkout.** Show your price, the booking fee and the total on their own lines. A breakdown is fine everywhere, as long as the first price was already right.
5. **Charge the same fee for every card.** A higher fee for credit cards than for debit cards, or for one card brand, is a card surcharge, which the UK and the EU ban for personal cards.
6. **Give it back with refunds.** When you cancel, refund the fee with the price. When a guest cancels under your [cancellation policy](https://ticketpa.com/blog/tour-cancellation-policy-template), refund the same share of the fee as of the price.

## Example: one €50 ticket, shown four ways

| How the fee is shown         | Booking page                                            | Checkout                            | Verdict                                      |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Added at checkout            | €50.00                                                  | €50.00 + €1.00 fee = €51.00         | Drip pricing when every guest pays it        |
| A note next to a lower price | €50.00, "a booking fee is added"                        | €51.00                              | Not enough in the UK or California           |
| In the price                 | €51.00, "Prices include a 2% booking fee"               | €50.00 + €1.00 booking fee = €51.00 | Clear everywhere                             |
| Optional                     | €50.00, "A 2% booking fee is added when you pay online" | €51.00 online, €50.00 on the day    | Fine when paying on the day is a real option |

## Should you pass the booking fee on?

| Your situation                            | What usually works                                                 |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| You also sell on marketplaces like Viator | Pay the fee yourself, or raise your prices a little everywhere     |
| Guests can pay on the day                 | Pass it on to guests who pay online, and say so before they choose |
| Guests must pay online                    | Pass it on with the fee in every price, or pay it yourself         |
| Your fee is 2% or less                    | Either works; €1 on €50 rarely changes a guest's mind              |
| Your fee is 5% or more                    | Think twice, as €3 on a €50 ticket is easy to notice               |

If most of your bookings come from marketplaces, the fee on your own booking page matters less than the [commission you pay them](https://ticketpa.com/blog/ota-commission-vs-direct-bookings).

## What booking software charges guests

Some booking systems add their fee to the guest's price by default. Others let you choose:

- **FareHarbor** adds a booking fee to the guest's total on every booking made with the business. Its help center says the fee is 6% for businesses that have used FareHarbor for a year and sell less than $35,000 a year online ([source](https://help.fareharbor.com/hc/en-us/articles/40897900687771)).
- **Bókun, Rezdy and Checkfront** let you pay their fee yourself or pass it on to guests.
- **TicketPa** lets you choose on every plan, and starts with you paying it.

These were checked on 12 October 2026 on each company's own pages. Our guide to [what booking software costs](https://ticketpa.com/blog/booking-software-cost) compares the full prices, and the [booking software cost calculator](https://ticketpa.com/booking-software-cost-calculator) shows what you and your guests pay on your own numbers, with a switch for passing fees on.

## How TicketPa handles booking fees

TicketPa keeps a small fee from each online payment: 2% on the Basic plan, 1% on the Standard plan and 0.5% on the Pro plan. Bookings paid on arrival carry no fee. On every plan you choose who pays it: you, which is where every business starts, or guests who pay online, as a booking fee.

When guests pay it, TicketPa follows the rules above:

- **When guests choose how to pay,** the booking box says "A 2% booking fee is added when you pay online" from the start, with your plan's fee. Guests who pay on the day never pay it.
- **When guests must pay online,** every price on your booking page includes the fee, and the booking box says "Prices include a 2% booking fee". The fee is worked out on each ticket, so guests pay exactly the prices they saw.
- **At checkout,** guests see your price, a booking fee line and the total. Stripe's card form, the ticket and the emails show the same.
- **You keep your full price.** Your bookings, reports and CSV export show your price without the fee.
- **Refunds give the fee back in proportion:** all of it with a full refund, half of it with a 50% refund.

The fee is the same whichever card the guest uses, and Stripe's card fee stays with you. See [the plans](https://ticketpa.com/pricing), or read [how to take online payments](https://ticketpa.com/blog/online-payments-tours-activities) for the setup.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is it legal to charge guests a booking fee?

Yes. In the UK, the EU and the US you can charge a booking fee. The rules control how you show it: if every guest must pay it, it has to be in the first price they see. A fee added only at checkout, or a "plus fees" note next to a lower price, breaks the rules in the UK, the EU and California.

### Do I have to include the booking fee in my prices?

If every guest must pay it, yes, in the UK, the EU and California, and that includes "from" prices and adverts. If guests can avoid the fee, for example by paying on the day, you can show it separately, as long as they see it before they choose.

### Can I charge a booking fee only for online payments?

Yes, if guests have a real way to book without it, such as paying on the day, and you tell them before they choose. Keep the fee the same whichever card or wallet they use. If online payment is the only way to book, the fee is no longer optional, so put it in your prices.

### Is a booking fee the same as a card surcharge?

No. A booking fee is a charge for the booking. A card surcharge is an extra charge for paying by card. In the UK and the EU, surcharges on personal debit and credit cards have been banned since January 2018, so a booking fee must not depend on the card a guest uses.

### Do I have to refund the booking fee?

When you cancel, refund it with the price, as the guest got nothing for it. When a guest cancels, the fairest rule is to refund the same share of the fee as of the price under your cancellation policy. Whatever you decide, write it in your policy so guests know before they book.

### What booking fee does FareHarbor charge guests?

FareHarbor adds a booking fee to the guest's total on every booking. Its help center says the fee is 6% for businesses that have used FareHarbor for a year and sell less than $35,000 a year online. It doesn't publish the rate above that. On a $100 booking at 6%, the guest pays $106.

### What is drip pricing?

Drip pricing means showing a low price first and adding fees that guests must pay later in the booking, usually at checkout. It is banned in the UK and the EU, and in California for most businesses. To avoid it, show the full price, with every fee guests must pay, from the first screen.