Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 63.
Introduced:Jan 28, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Eric Stephen Schmitt
Senator
Republican
MO
Cosponsors
1
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Commerce
Summary
The TICKET Act requires ticket sellers including secondary markets to display total prices upfront when tickets are first shown, with itemized fee breakdowns before purchase. It prohibits selling tickets not actually possessed and requires refunds for canceled or postponed events. Sellers may offer ticket-obtaining services if clearly distinguished from actual tickets.
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 63.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
The TICKET Act requires ticket sellers including secondary markets to display total prices upfront when tickets are first shown, with itemized fee breakdowns before purchase. It prohibits selling tickets not actually possessed and requires refunds for canceled or postponed events. Sellers may offer ticket-obtaining services if clearly distinguished from actual tickets.
Last updated: 1/4/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act or the TICKET Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires ticket sellers (including sellers on the secondary market) for concerts, performances, sporting events, and similar activities to clearly and prominently disclose the total ticket price for the event at the time the ticket is first displayed to an individual (and anytime thereafter during the purchasing process). Prior to completing a purchase, ticket sellers also must provide an itemized list of the base ticket price and each fee (e.g., service fee, processing fee, or other charge). The total ticket price must also be disclosed in any advertisement, marketing, or price list.</p><p>Additionally, a ticket seller, secondary market seller, or ticket exchange that does not have actual or constructive possession of an event ticket is prohibited from selling or advertising a ticket for the event. However, a secondary market seller or exchange may sell or advertise a service to obtain an event ticket for an individual if the seller or exchange (1) does not market the service as an event ticket, (2) maintains a clear separation between the provided service and the event tickets throughout the entire purchasing process, and (3) clearly discloses that the service is not an event ticket.</p><p>The bill establishes additional disclosure requirements for ticket sellers, secondary market sellers, and ticket exchanges, and requires such entities to issue a refund for the total ticket price if an event is canceled or postponed.</p><p>The Federal Trade Commission must enforce these requirements.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Requires upfront total ticket price disclosure
Itemized fee breakdown before purchase
Prohibits speculative ticket sales
Mandatory refunds for canceled events
Covers primary and secondary markets
FTC enforcement of requirements
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill addresses widespread consumer frustration with hidden ticket fees and speculative sales practices. Buyers often see low advertised prices that double with fees at checkout. The bill also targets sellers who list tickets they do not have, creating fulfillment problems. Mandatory refunds for cancellations protect consumers when events do not happen. These changes would significantly improve transparency in the ticket marketplace.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Commerce
Related Subjects
Competition and antitrust
Consumer affairs
Inflation and prices
Marketing and advertising
Service industries
User charges and fees
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
281, 119th Congress (2025). "TICKET Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-281
