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Biden praises commitments from Live Nation, others to end junk fees

At the South Court Auditorium of the White House on Thursday, CEO of Dice Phil Hutcheon (L), and CEO of xBk Tobi Parks look on as President Joe Biden (R) speaks during a meeting with executives and representatives of the ticketing and venue industry. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
1 of 6 | At the South Court Auditorium of the White House on Thursday, CEO of Dice Phil Hutcheon (L), and CEO of xBk Tobi Parks look on as President Joe Biden (R) speaks during a meeting with executives and representatives of the ticketing and venue industry. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

June 15 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden met Thursday with private sector companies that have committed to end surprise junk fees by fully disclosing all customer fees upfront.

Biden delivered remarks discussing the new commitments to protect consumers from junk fees after meeting with representatives from Live Nation, SeatGeek, xBk, Airbnb, the Pablo Center at the Confluence, TickPick, DICE, and the Newport Festivals Foundation. Representatives from the companies remained present as Biden spoke.

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"During my State of the Union, I outlined our fight to end junk fees. These hidden charges from companies sneak into you bill to make you pay more," Biden said. "It's not a matter of concern for the wealthy very much -- but it can add up to hundreds of dollars a month and make it harder for families to pay bills."

The president applauded the companies that have already eliminated junk fees or implemented all-in pricing, and thanked those who have announced they will do so soon.

"This is a win for consumers in my view, and proof that our crackdown on junk fees has real momentum," Biden said. "This is real transparency which leads to real competition."

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Live Nation announced a plan to implement up-front all-pricing in September that will show "just one clear, total price for more than 30 million fans who attend shows at the more than 200 Live Nation-owned venues and festivals across the country," the White House said.

Additionally, Seat Geek, a ticketing platform, will roll out pricing features over the summer to make it easier for customers to see an all-in price.

"Together, these companies service millions of consumers each year, all of whom will receive a better shopping experience without surprise fees imposed at check-out," the White House said in a statement.

Biden who has been calling on Congress, companies and federal agencies to provide customers with honest, transparent pricing and in February announced action that would cut "excessive credit card late fees" will also highlight action already taken by companies to limit surprise fees.

Airbnb introduced a new total price display tool in December, while ticketing platforms TicPick and DICE have been displaying upfront pricing since they were founded in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

In other action on junk fees, the Biden administration said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has increased supervision of bank reliance on fees like check bounce and overdraft fees.

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According to the White House, that has helped drive more than $5 billion in annual savings to consumers.

Biden's Department of Transportation has also proposed a rule requiring airlines to disclose all of their fees upfront.

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