💸 Biggest Ticketmaster fee settlements: $400M tentative credit
WSJ reported a tentative $400M credit for 50M buyers; a Buffalo News column put the voucher pot at $10M. Cash deals run far smaller. ⏳
By MrMoney, business desk · Desk editor Laima Ērkšķe-Kreicberga · · 4 min read
RANKEDPhoto: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas · CC BY 2.0What we know
- The Wall Street Journal reported on June 3, 2014 that Ticketmaster agreed to a tentative settlement that, if approved, would offer roughly $400M in credit to 50 million ticket buyers over order processing and delivery fees.
- The Associated Press reported in May 2013 that Ticketmaster agreed to settle for up to $23M over a rewards program that cost $9 a month; about 1.12 million people were eligible, and the defendants did not admit wrongdoing.
- Billboard reported in January 2011 that Live Nation disclosed a $22.3M charge tied to a class action filed in 2003, alleging Ticketmaster misled buyers about processing and delivery charges.
- Billboard reported in June 2019 that Ticketmaster Canada, TNow and Ticketmaster L.L.C. would pay $4.5M (US$3.44M) after Canada's Competition Bureau looked at advertised ticket prices.
- The New York Times reported that a federal jury in April 2026 found Ticketmaster overcharged consumers by $1.72 a ticket; Live Nation has said it will appeal any unfavorable rulings, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Six Flags is today's fee story, with a class-action settlement over processing fees covered in its own piece on this site. The settlement papers are not among the documents read here, so none of its terms are repeated. What is on record: Pirates & Princesses reported that park websites listed 2027 passes on Sunday, Nov. 8, with a processing fee of up to $9.99 plus tax, and that the fee applies to each pass.
The ticketing industry has been here before, with receipts. Below is the record of hidden-fee and consumer settlements against Ticketmaster and Live Nation, ranked by the headline figure each source states. Headline figures and what people actually collected are not always the same thing, as the first entry shows.
The ranking
2003 class action: roughly $400M in credit, tentative
The Wall Street Journal reported on June 3, 2014 that Ticketmaster agreed to a tentative settlement that, if approved, would offer roughly $400M in credit to 50 million ticket buyers. The 2003 lawsuit alleged Ticketmaster, then owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp, misled consumers by charging "order processing fees" and "UPS delivery fees" that were not spent entirely on delivery or order processing. A 2016 Buffalo News column described the outcome differently: $10M in free concert tickets for the 50 million plaintiffs, including $2.25 vouchers redeemable only as a discount on more tickets. The documents read do not reconcile the two figures.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Rewards-program fees: up to $23M, $30 a head
The Associated Press reported that U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer in Los Angeles approved a settlement of up to $23M over a rewards program that cost $9 a month and, per the report, never gave customers any benefits. About 1.12 million people who bought tickets at Ticketmaster.com between September 2004 and June 2009 were eligible to claim up to $30 each. Plaintiffs said customers paid about $85M, and the payout could shrink if too many people claimed, since the cap includes about $4M in legal fees. The defendants said the program fully disclosed its terms and did not admit wrongdoing; a Ticketmaster spokeswoman did not immediately comment, AP said.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Schlesinger class action: $22.3M charge
Billboard reported on Jan. 27, 2011 that Live Nation disclosed in an SEC filing a $22.3M charge tied to a class action filed in 2003. A California judge gave the case class status in September 2010. It claimed Ticketmaster misled plaintiffs by describing processing and delivery charges as pass-through fees rather than profit generators. Per the filing, the case was settled in December 2010, subject to preliminary and final court approval. The report does not say who qualified to claim.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)Canada's Competition Bureau: $4.5M (US$3.44M)
Billboard reported on June 28, 2019 that Canada's Competition Bureau determined Ticketmaster Canada and related companies would pay $4.5M: a $4M penalty plus $500,000 for the Bureau's costs. The Bureau said advertised prices were topped up by more than 20%, and sometimes as much as 65%, through mandatory fees added late in the purchase process. It said the price representations were misleading even though the fees were disclosed before checkout. The companies registered a 10-year consent agreement, and Ticketmaster said in a statement that it had resolved the proceedings. The report describes no payout to consumers.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)| Rank | Case | Headline figure | Who qualified | Status in the source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003 class action (WSJ) | Roughly $400M in credit | 50 million ticket buyers | Tentative, if approved |
| 2 | Rewards program (AP) | Up to $23M | About 1.12 million people, up to $30 each | Judge approved; no admission of wrongdoing |
| 3 | Schlesinger class action (Billboard) | $22.3M charge | Not stated in the report | Subject to court approval |
| 4 | Canada Competition Bureau (Billboard) | $4.5M (US$3.44M) | No consumer payout described | 10-year consent agreement |
Not a settlement, but a per-ticket number
The New York Times reported that a federal jury on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 found Live Nation operated as a monopoly and that Ticketmaster overcharged consumers by $1.72 for each ticket; the judge is to set an overall damages amount. The Hollywood Reporter quoted Live Nation as saying the figure applies to tickets at 257 venues and that it believes the aggregate single damages figure would be below $150M. Live Nation said the verdict is not the last word and that it can and will appeal unfavorable rulings. That estimate is the company's own; no court has set a total in the documents read.
Engadget reported on May 12, 2025 that Ticketmaster announced all-in pricing on the same day an FTC rule requiring full prices up front took effect. If you were counting the cost of hidden fees, that is the point where the record shifts from settlements to rules. Today's Six Flags fee story is the newest entry in the same ledger.
Earlier on file: Live Nation, Ticketmaster: jury finds $1.72 ticket overcharge
The Six Flags file
- Reported
Pirates & Princesses reported park sites listed 2027 passes with a processing fee of up to $9.99 plus tax. This story
On file: The Six Flags file · The Live Nation Entertainment file · The Ticketmaster file
The Ledger
On the record
- A judge approved a settlement of up to $23M in 2013, Live Nation disclosed a $22.3M charge in 2011, and Canada's Competition Bureau secured $4.5M in 2019, per the reports cited.
- A federal jury found in April 2026 that Ticketmaster overcharged consumers by $1.72 a ticket; Live Nation has said it will appeal.
Still rumour
- Whether the roughly $400M credit was approved, or redeemed at that value, is not settled in the documents read; the Buffalo News column cites $10M.
- The Six Flags settlement papers were not read, so its terms and where it ranks are not confirmed here. Live Nation's sub-$150M damages estimate is the company's own.
That's the record. The rest is rumour. - MrMoney
Next on the docket
More Business
Business · ⚖️ Amazon Ring: FTC order seeks $5.8M over employee video access
The FTC says Ring let staff view customer videos; Ring denies breaking the law, and a judge's sign-off is unconfirmed.
Business · ⚖️ Nvidia China chip smuggling cases: $2.5B alleged, 9 charged
Taiwan charged nine over forged papers; the US alleges $2.5B in servers. Supermicro says it is not a target; no verdict is on record. ⏳
PENDINGPhoto: Zachary Caraway · Pexels License⚖️ Jensen Huang faces subpoena threat from House China committee
Rep. Moolenaar says Huang has until end of Wednesday to answer a briefing request. No public reply was found in the reports read. ⏳
Business · 💸 Mark Hurd HP exit: $12.2M cash severance after expense probe
HP said Hurd filed inaccurate expense reports. Hurd admitted lapses; Larry Ellison said the board erred. 🗣️