All-in Pricing at Checkout: Everything the Total Must Include
Context. “All-in pricing” means the consumer sees the real price they will pay—including all mandatory fees—before they commit to buy. Drip pricing (revealing unavoidable fees late in the funnel) is widely treated as deceptive under consumer-protection law. This guide explains what must be included at checkout, how to structure disclosures from the first impression to payment, and how to build internal controls that keep teams compliant across travel, entertainment, ticketing, lodging and general e-commerce.
1) What “all-in” means at checkout
At the moment the customer pays, the price displayed must equal the total amount charged to the customer’s card/wallet. In most jurisdictions this includes:
- Base price of the product/service;
- Mandatory seller/platform fees (e.g., “service,” “facility,” “processing,” “order” fees; destination/resort fees; required booking fees);
- Carrier/supplier-imposed mandatory charges (e.g., airline carrier-imposed fees, mandatory car-rental concession recovery if truly unavoidable to purchase the advertised product);
- Government taxes and statutory charges (VAT/sales tax, tourism levies) as part of the checkout total—sector-specific rules may also require the headline price to include taxes;
- Any unavoidable add-on needed to obtain the advertised functionality (e.g., “mandatory seat selection fee” if a seat must be purchased for travel; if optional, it should be genuinely declinable and not pre-selected).
By contrast, items that may be displayed separately (but must be clear and prominent) include:
- Optional upgrades (preferred seats, VIP access, insurance add-ons, early check-in, late checkout), if not required to use the core service;
- Shipping/handling where allowed by law to be excluded from the headline (some jurisdictions exclude shipping from “all-in” headline, but the checkout total must still show it clearly before purchase);
- Gratuities/tips that are voluntary (not auto-added).
2) The end-to-end disclosure journey (what appears when)
- First impression (listing/search results/ad) — show either the all-in headline or a prominent total price near the headline. If using price ranges, include a clear “from” label and conditions.
- Selection page — for travel/tickets/lodging, show a running total that updates as the shopper selects seats, baggage, or dates. Do not hide unavoidable fees behind tooltips.
- Fees & taxes line-items — label each fee in plain language (“Resort fee (mandatory)”, “Service fee (platform)”) and state if it is non-optional.
- Checkout — present a final all-in total equal to what will be charged; if an external payment processor adds fees, disclose them before the “Pay” action.
- Receipt/confirmation — mirror the same total and keep a price breakdown for dispute resolution and audits.
3) What must be included: sector snapshot
| Sector | All-in expectation at checkout | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air travel | Total fare including all taxes/fees the consumer must pay for the transportation; clear optional-fee disclosures (bags/seats). | Full-fare advertising rules require that the full price be displayed; optional fees must be accessible up-front. |
| Hotels/lodging | Room rate + mandatory resort/destination fees + taxes in the final total; early disclosure before checkout. | UDAP standards and AG settlements push for all-in headline or, at minimum, a prominent total early in the path. |
| Ticketing (concerts/sports/theater) | Ticket price + platform/venue fees + taxes = shown as the total payable. | Platforms increasingly default to all-in or require a one-click all-in view on first page. |
| Car rentals | Base rate + mandatory facility/concession fees + taxes; optional insurance/tolls only if not pre-selected. | Avoid pre-checked add-ons; disclose airport surcharges clearly. |
| General e-commerce | Product price + mandatory platform/seller fees + taxes; shipping shown before purchase. | Some states require the headline to include mandatory fees (shipping often excluded). |
4) “Junk fee” red flags and how to fix them
- Mandatory but vague (“facility fee,” “order fee”) → Rename in plain English, show amount early, include it in totals.
- Platform fee + seller fee both unavoidable → consolidate into one mandatory price or include both in the headline total.
- Pre-checked add-ons → default to off; require active opt-in.
- Dynamic fees that rise with demand but are unavoidable → treat as part of the price; cap volatility and disclose basis.
- Payment method surcharge added at the last click → disclose earlier or include in the price; provide a no-surcharge method if permitted.
5) Numeric examples (how the total should look)
A) Hotel night (compliant) Room rate (headline or early total): $129.00 Mandatory destination fee: $ 20.00 Taxes: $ 18.77 ----------------------------------------------- Total at checkout (charged): $167.77 B) Concert ticket (compliant) Ticket price (all-in view): $ 59.00 Platform service fee (mandatory): included Venue facility fee (mandatory): included Taxes: included ----------------------------------------------- Total at checkout (charged): $ 59.00 C) Airline (compliant) Fare incl. carrier-imposed charges & taxes: $248.40 Optional bag (customer added): $ 35.00 ----------------------------------------------- Total at checkout (charged): $283.40
6) ASCII chart — effect of late fees on effective price
Anchor price $50 |■■■■■■■■■■ + Late "service" fee $12 |■■■■■ + "Facility" fee $ 6 |■■■ + Taxes $ 5 |■■■ -------------------------------- All-in total $73 |■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Markup over anchor: +46%
Illustrative only; your checkout must present the all-in total clearly and early.
7) Governance: how to operationalize all-in pricing
- Single source of price truth — one API/service calculates totals (base + mandatory fees + taxes). UI must call the same service for listing, PDP, and checkout.
- Fee dictionary — catalog all fees with legal purpose, owner, optional/mandatory flag, and where they appear.
- All-in toggle / default — offer a one-click all-in view or default the listing grid to all-in in jurisdictions that require it.
- Compliance guardrails — block launch if a mandatory fee lacks plain-English label or isn’t included in the first available total.
- Receipts mirror checkout — breakdown + identical total for audits, chargebacks and regulator inquiries.
- A/B tests with legal review — never ship pricing UX experiments without counsel sign-off.
8) Quick Guide
- Show the total price (base + all mandatory fees + taxes) before the buyer commits.
- Label fees in plain language; avoid generic “service” unless you explain the service.
- Keep add-ons optional by default—no pre-checked boxes.
- Mirror the same total on receipt; keep a price breakdown.
- For travel/ticketing/lodging, maintain a running total during selection.
- Document who owns each fee and why it exists; review quarterly.
9) FAQ
1) Do taxes have to be in the headline price?
Sector rules vary. In air travel, advertised fares generally must include all government taxes and mandatory charges. Elsewhere, some laws allow the headline to exclude taxes but require a prominent total early—and always at checkout.
2) Are “resort” or “destination” fees allowed?
They are risky if not included in the initial total. Many AG settlements and platform rules require that unavoidable lodging fees be included up front, not dripped at the end.
3) Can we keep a separate “platform fee” and “seller fee”?
Yes, but if both are mandatory they should be included in the price shown and clearly labeled. Two mandatory fees shown late looks like drip pricing.
4) Are payment-method surcharges okay?
Only where permitted by law and disclosed before payment. If an unavoidable processor fee applies to all methods, include it in the price.
5) Do shipping costs need to be in the headline?
Often not, but you must reveal shipping before purchase. Some state laws carve shipping out of headline “all-in” but still require a clear total.
6) What about “convenience” or “order” fees in ticketing?
If mandatory, they belong in the total price from the first page or via an all-in default/toggle. At checkout they must be in the amount charged.
7) Can we display a low anchor and reveal total later if we provide a toggle?
Safer to default to all-in or present the total with equal prominence. A hidden toggle may be insufficient and attract UDAP scrutiny.
8) Are optional add-ons allowed to be pre-selected?
Avoid pre-selection. Regulators expect affirmative opt-in for optional add-ons, with the total updating transparently.
9) How do we prove we’re compliant?
Maintain screenshots of live journeys, price-generation logs, a fee dictionary, and jurisdictional matrices; keep receipts identical to checkout totals.
10) We operate globally—what baseline should we adopt?
Adopt a global “all-in by default” design (total price on listing and checkout), then localize only where law requires variants. It reduces engineering and legal risk.
10) Technical base (legal sources – English)
- U.S. federal unfair/deceptive practices frameworks (FTC Act Section 5) and policy statements addressing drip pricing/junk fees in advertising and online interfaces.
- U.S. Department of Transportation full-fare advertising requirements for air travel (e.g., rules that the total price payable, including government taxes/fees and carrier-imposed charges, be the prominent fare; clear ancillary fee disclosures).
- State consumer-protection (UDAP/UDTPA) statutes and Attorney General guidance/settlements concerning resort fees and ticketing fees (expectation of total price early and at checkout).
- Ticketing/marketplace policies mandating an all-in view or default, plus fee-labeling standards.
- EU/UK: Unfair Commercial Practices Directive; Consumer Rights Directive (total price transparency); UK CMA pricing practices and CAP Code guidance.
Important notice: This guide is educational and does not replace a lawyer. Pricing rules and enforcement vary by jurisdiction and sector. For high-risk launches or investigations, seek qualified legal advice.