Junk fees (aka surprise fees): How you can avoid or minimize them

When it comes to your pocketbook, there’s no reason to let “junk” pile up—especially in the form of hidden or unnecessary fees. Whether you’re booking travel, paying monthly bills, or signing up for services, these sneaky charges can quietly inflate your costs without adding real value.

Understanding where junk fees tend to hide—and how to push back on them—can help you keep your spending clean, clear, and clutter‑free.

What you'll learn

• What are junk fees?
• Common examples of junk fees
• How to avoid or minimize junk fees
• Alliant won’t surprise you with junk fees

What are junk fees?

Junk fees are unexpected, hidden, or mandatory charges added to the advertised price of a product or service, often revealed late in the checkout process or after the purchase. They make it hard to compare prices and can significantly inflate what consumers end up paying. U.S. consumer protection agencies have identified these practices as misleading and unfair because these fees obscure the true cost of a product or service.

Common examples of junk fees

Junk fees could be added to many products or services—so you should remain on the lookout for them—but here are some common culprits.

• Ticketing and events: “Service,” “processing,” or “convenience” fees added at checkout.
• Hotels and short term rentals: Resort or cleaning fees not included in the nightly rate.
• Banking and credit: Overdraft fees, NSF (non-sufficient funds) fees, and excessive late fees.
• Subscriptions and utilities: Activation, termination, or “administrative” fees buried in the fine print.

These charges are often the result of “drip pricing”—advertising a low base price and adding unavoidable fees step by step—an approach regulators have flagged as deceptive.

To curb surprise pricing, the Federal Trade Commission’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect May 12, 2025. It requires businesses selling live event tickets and short term lodging to display the total price upfront, including all mandatory fees, rather than tacking them on at checkout. Taxes, shipping, and truly optional add ons can be excluded, but must be clearly disclosed before payment.

How to avoid or minimize junk fees

Now that you are aware of junk fees and can identify them, here are tips for keeping more money in your pocket or sidestepping them altogether.

• Look for “all in” pricing and compare totals. Prefer sellers that show the full price early. Compare final totals, not headline prices—especially for hotels and tickets.
• Read fee disclosures before committing. Scan the checkout page and the terms for mandatory fees. If a fee appears unavoidable and was hidden, that’s a red flag.
• Ask about fees upfront—especially offline. For apartments, services, or subscriptions, request a written list of all required charges before you agree.
• Use consumer friendly payment and banking options. Choose fee-free accounts and set alerts to avoid late fees.
• Leverage protections—and report problems. If you’re charged hidden mandatory fees in covered industries, report it to the Federal Trade Commission or Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Junk fees thrive on surprise and confusion. New rules now force upfront transparency for live events and short term lodging, but consumers still benefit from vigilance elsewhere: compare final prices, read disclosures, ask questions, and report deceptive practices. These steps can save real money—and push the market toward honest pricing.

Alliant won’t surprise you with junk fees

If you’re an Alliant Credit Union member, you don’t have to worry about overdraft fees for your Alliant checking and savings accounts. When implementing this in 2021, we kept it simple. Our no-overdraft fee1 policy applies to all checking and savings accounts, not just those of current members or members who maintain high balances. We don’t have complicated conditions you have to meet to avoid overdraft fees. We eliminated them entirely, including NSF fees.