What Are Fee Transparency Laws
Fee transparency laws are consumer product laws to improve pricing transparency to consumers by requiring event organizers to disclose all fees upfront. This upfront, all-in pricing mean displaying a single price inclusive of registration price, processing fees, and any additional required fees.
The Purpose of Fee Transparency Laws
The purpose of fee transparency laws is to prevent hidden fees and unexpected costs at checkout, ensuring pricing fairness and clarity. This comes on the heels of growing scrutiny on ticketing companies with predatory, anticompetitive pricing tactics.
What Fee Transparency Laws Apply To
Fee transparency laws apply to registration, ticketing, store/add-ons, and memberships in the state of the event. They do not apply to donations or sales tax (sales tax is added at checkout based on event, purchaser, and shipping locations).
Where Have Fee Transparency Laws Been Passed?
To date, fee transparency laws have been enacted in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, and Tennessee. However, we expect to see additional states pass similar laws, driven by consumer demand for transparency. A Federal law is possible.
The penalties for non-compliance range from $1,000 to $10,000. Event organizers are liable for violations.
How Does RunSignup Comply with Fee Transparency Laws?
RunSignup has implemented a range of website and email changes to pricing display in impacted states.
- Automatic compliance by updating the price displays automatically for affected states, based on the state of the event.
- Website display to show the all-in pricing (with a call-out that it includes fees and a tooltip for more information).
- Email display to show current and future pricing a all-in pricing.
Alternative Options for Race Directors
Missing round numbers and not a fan of the all-in pricing? Here’s your workaround option:
- Adjust your race prices to account for all potential processing fees
- Absorb processing fees so the price that shows is already your all-in price.
- Call out your all-in pricing so runners know that the price they see IS the price they’ll pay.
How All-In Pricing Displays on RunSignup
What Do You Need Do to Comply with Fee Transparency Laws?
While RunSignup is taking care of as much compliance as we can, there are still things to pay attention to as a race director.
- Update and maintain website: If you have an external website in addition to your website, the pricing displayed there also needs to display all-in pricing. One workaround: do not list pricing on your external website, and simply link to the compliant RunSignup site.
- Caution with emails: All emails need to include all-in pricing. Use RunSignup’s Price Increase Table replacement tag to ensure compliance.
- Transparent pricing on social media: All social media posts need to include all-in pricing.
RunSignup’s Low, Family-Friendly Pricing Makes a Difference
For your registrants, RunSignup’s low, family-friendly pricing has always made a difference. With fee transparency laws, that difference is amplified: your registrants can now see just how much they’ll actually be paying. The example below shows the cart total, including processing fees, for 2 registrations of $55/each.
RunSignup
Race Roster
Eventbrite
Enabling Fee Transparent Pricing When Not Required
While RunSignup automatically enables transparent pricing for races in impacted states, some race directors in other states prefer to get ahead of the curve and begin showing all-in pricing. You can enable all-in pricing at any point from your dashboard.
All The Latest Blogs on Fee Transparency Laws…
Event Powered Websites and Email – The New Requirement for Events
Since the dawn of using the Internet for signing up for events online, collecting information and processing transaction $dollars have been the core requirement. Over the past several years, Websites and Email that are POWERED by Event data have become the new…
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Fee Transparency Display Update
We have made a Fee Transparency Display Update to improve participants’ understanding of new all-in pricing due to Fee Transparency Laws. We now show the all-in price along with the included fee on event tiles, the first step of registration, and Event…
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Enable Fee Transparency
You can now enable fee transparency for events in states that have not passed fee transparency laws. While RunSignup automatically enables for states that have passed fee transparency laws, some directors want to enable all-in pricing for events in locations that have…
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Fee Transparency Pricing Goes Into Effect in NY, CA and MD
Update: In addition to the states below, fee transparency laws have gone into effect in CO, CT, and TN. On July 1, 2024 we rolled out Fee Transparency Law Pricing. These new laws being enacted by states and perhaps at the Federal…
Read MoreUpdate on Fee Transparency Law Implementation
We are beginning to roll out the new pricing displays on our products effective today, June 7, 2024. This is a follow up to a more detailed blog where we review the new “Taylor Swift” pricing transparency laws that are mandating the…
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Fee Transparency Laws Will Change How Pricing is Displayed
California Law Effective July 1, Minnesota Effective Jan. 1 Will Require All Listed Pricing Includes Processing Fees As of October 2024, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New York and Tennessee have all passed fee transparency laws. New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Virginia all…
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