Extra fees are adding insult to consumers’ injury

‘Drip Pricing’ Is Turning Checkout Into a Nasty Surprise — Alexis Leondis As if inflation isn’t bad enough, consumers are getting slammed by [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( [‘Drip Pricing’ Is Turning Checkout Into a Nasty Surprise]( — Alexis Leondis As if inflation isn’t bad enough, consumers are getting slammed by [drip pricing](, the sneaky extra fees that get tacked on right before a purchase is closed. Photographer: Tim Robberts/Stone RF Photographer: Tim Robberts/Stone RF You’ve no doubt become familiar with the drill: Airlines, hotels, concert-ticket sellers, telecom companies and others will advertise a lower price, but then reveal additional mandatory charges — often after buyers are invested and about to click the “purchase now” button. It’s an unfair practice, but unfortunately nothing new. And it’s becoming even more rampant as companies look for quieter, less visible ways to pass on higher costs to consumers. Besides being incredibly frustrating, drip pricing feels deceptive, though it’s perfectly legal in many cases. It’s impossible to comparison shop for the best deal when you don’t know what the actual cost is. [Studies show]( the tactic exploits cognitive biases: People get excited about the initial offer and then don’t want to go to the trouble of starting over or having to re-enter all their information. They wind up spending more than they would have if they had known the true cost at the outset. So what can you do to fight back? Read the [whole thing](. [An Executive Order That Might Actually Stop Gun Violence]( — Timothy L. O’Brien [So Now We Have Clarity. The World Has Changed]( — John Authers [Coinbase Made Some Pets.com-Level Mistakes]( — Mark Gongloff [William Barr Is Handing Republicans a Trump Exit Strategy]( — Noah Feldman [Putin Prepares to Declare Himself a Conqueror]( — Leonid Bershidsky [How Close Are We Really to 1970s-Style Inflation?]( — Robert Burgess, Elaine He and Eliza Winger [US Hurricane Season Will Be Felt Around the World This Year]( — Julian Lee [Federal Reserve Must Do More Than Raise Rates by 75 Points]( — Mohamed A. El-Erian [The Plot Darkens in the Latest Episode of Jan. 6 Hearings]( — Jonathan Bernstein This is the Weekend Edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today, a roundup of the most popular stories Bloomberg Opinion published this week based on web readership. Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022