Extra fees on online event tickets catch buyers off guard
A social media post about unexpected extra charges on top of ticket prices has sparked discussion, after a buyer paid nearly €19 in additional fees for three tickets costing €147.
A buyer took to the social network Threads to express surprise at extra charges added when purchasing three tickets online for an event at Xiaomi Arena. While the base ticket price totaled €147 (€49 per ticket), the final bill included two additional charges — €7.50 and €11.40 — bringing the total to €165.90.
The post drew wide attention, with many commenters sharing similar experiences. Some buyers called the fees unfair, arguing they are calculated as a percentage of the ticket price rather than a flat, reasonable amount. Others suggested avoiding the extra costs by purchasing tickets in person at ticket offices.
Two separate charges
The total is made up of two distinct fees. The first is the Xiaomi Arena service fee, charged by the venue itself. Introduced in summer 2016 to fund the upkeep and development of the arena's infrastructure, it currently stands at €2.50 (VAT included) per attendee — €7.50 for three tickets, matching the amount in this case. Arēna Rīga describes the fee as a widely used practice across Europe and beyond, noting that any other surcharges are unrelated to the venue itself and instead stem from event organizers or ticket vendors.
The second charge, €11.40, is a separate online store usage fee applied by ticket vendor Biļešu Paradīze, which is disclosed to buyers before payment is completed. The company's board chairman, Jānis Ķuzulis, has previously explained that ticket sales involve costs such as bank commissions, staff salaries, taxes, and the maintenance of ticketing systems and equipment. The fee typically amounts to 6.01% of the ticket total excluding VAT, and the company states it charges no other commissions. According to Ķuzulis, listing the fee separately lets buyers see exactly what they are paying for, whereas folding it into the ticket price would create a false impression that no such fee exists. Buyers can avoid the online fee by purchasing tickets in person at sales points.
