What StubHub Was Accused Of
The core allegation against StubHub, echoed in both a Washington D.C. lawsuit and a subsequent Federal Trade Commission action, is a practice known as drip pricing, where a website advertises a low initial ticket price and then adds mandatory fees, such as service and fulfillment charges, later in the checkout process rather than disclosing the full price upfront. Critics, including consumer advocacy groups, argued this made it difficult for buyers to compare true prices or know what they would actually pay.
In July 2024, the Washington D.C. attorney general sued StubHub over this practice, alleging the company had used an all-in pricing model roughly a decade earlier but switched away from it after finding that customers were more likely to complete a purchase when shown a lower price upfront. The lawsuit noted StubHub had sold nearly 5 million tickets in Washington D.C. alone since 2015, generating an estimated 118 million dollars in fees.
The FTC Settlement
A new federal rule addressing this practice, the FTC Junk Fees Rule, took effect May 12, 2025, requiring that the total price of a live event ticket, including all mandatory fees, be clearly and conspicuously disclosed in the very first pricing display shown to a consumer. The FTC alleged StubHub continued failing to meet this standard even after the rule took effect, including for high-demand tickets like NFL games.
In 2026, StubHub agreed to pay 10 million dollars to resolve the FTC allegations. The settlement requires StubHub to stop misrepresenting total prices or fees and to fund consumer refunds for buyers affected during a specific window right after the rule took effect. As part of a settlement, StubHub did not admit wrongdoing.
Who Qualifies for a Refund
The FTC settlement covers consumers who purchased a ticket from StubHub for a live event in the United States between May 12 and May 14, 2025, and paid mandatory fulfillment and service fees, and who have not already received a refund or chargeback for that purchase. The settlement divides eligible buyers into two groups depending on whether the total price was shown at all on the initial pricing display, or whether it was shown but structured in another way the FTC found problematic.
This is separate from the earlier Washington D.C. lawsuit, which covers a different time period and legal theory and may result in separate relief for D.C. area consumers, and separate again from a past, closed California class action settlement over StubHub fees from 2015 to 2019, which has already paid out.
How to Get Legal Help
If you bought a ticket from StubHub for a U.S. event between May 12 and May 14, 2025 and paid mandatory fees that were not clearly disclosed upfront, you may be eligible for a refund under the FTC settlement without needing to prove anything beyond your purchase. Check the official FTC or settlement administrator notices for how to submit a claim rather than relying on third-party sites.
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StubHub Lawsuit: The $10 Million Hidden Fees Settlement: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about this case and your legal options.
What did StubHub do wrong, according to regulators?
It advertised ticket prices that did not include mandatory fees like service and fulfillment charges, adding them later in checkout, a practice called drip pricing, allegedly in violation of the FTC Junk Fees Rule and, separately, D.C. consumer protection law.
How much did StubHub agree to pay?
StubHub agreed to pay 10 million dollars to the FTC in 2026 to fund consumer refunds and resolve allegations that it violated the federal ticket-pricing disclosure rule. StubHub did not admit wrongdoing.
Who qualifies for the FTC refund?
Consumers who bought a ticket from StubHub for a U.S. live event between May 12 and May 14, 2025, paid mandatory fees, and have not already received a refund or chargeback for that purchase.
Is this the same as the D.C. lawsuit?
No. The Washington D.C. attorney general filed a separate lawsuit in July 2024 over the same general drip pricing practice but covering a different time period and following a different legal process.
Was there an earlier StubHub settlement?
Yes. A closed California class action resolved claims over StubHub fees from purchases made between September 2015 and September 2019, and that settlement already distributed payments.