Consumer protection rules affect many everyday purchases in the United States, from booking a hotel room to buying concert tickets, shopping online, canceling subscriptions and checking a credit report.
Some important protections currently affecting consumers took effect before 2026 but remain highly relevant this year. Federal agencies are also continuing to investigate businesses accused of misleading customers, hiding mandatory fees or reporting inaccurate consumer information.
Here are several major consumer protections Americans should understand in 2026.
Mandatory Ticket and Hotel Fees Must Be Displayed Upfront
A federal rule now requires businesses selling live-event tickets and short-term lodging to show consumers the real total price more clearly.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, 2025. It applies to businesses advertising or selling live-event tickets, hotel rooms, vacation rentals and other covered short-term lodging.
Under the rule, a business cannot advertise a low price and wait until checkout to reveal mandatory service, resort, processing or convenience fees.
The most prominent price shown to the consumer must include the mandatory charges that the business knows the customer will have to pay. Government-imposed taxes and certain shipping charges may be shown separately, but they must still be disclosed clearly before payment.
The rule does not ban every fee. Its purpose is to prevent misleading pricing and help consumers compare the actual cost of different options.
Before buying a ticket or booking accommodation, consumers should:
- Compare the first advertised price with the final checkout total.
- Look for automatically selected upgrades or services.
- Save screenshots of the original offer.
- Review every charge before entering payment information.
- Keep the receipt and confirmation email.
When a final price is much higher than the advertised price, the screenshots may help the consumer explain the problem to the seller, payment provider or appropriate government agency.
Airline Passengers May Qualify for Automatic Refunds
U.S. airline passengers have stronger federal refund protections when a flight is canceled or significantly changed.
Airlines must generally provide an automatic refund when they cancel or significantly change a flight and the passenger chooses not to accept the alternative transportation or compensation offered.
Consumers should not be forced to accept travel credits or airline miles when they are legally entitled to receive a refund through their original payment method.
Refunds are generally required within:
- Seven business days for credit-card purchases
- Twenty calendar days for other payment methods
These timelines apply after the refund becomes due and the airline knows the passenger has rejected the alternative.
Passengers may also qualify for refunds when they pay for an additional service that the airline fails to provide. This could include certain baggage services, seat-selection charges or onboard services.
However, every delay does not automatically create a right to a full refund. Eligibility depends on what happened, how significantly the itinerary changed and whether the passenger accepts or rejects the replacement travel arrangements.
Travelers should keep:
- Their original itinerary
- Cancellation or schedule-change notifications
- Receipts for additional services
- Messages exchanged with the airline
- Written confirmation of any refund request
Passengers experiencing a problem can first contact the airline. Unresolved air-travel complaints may also be submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Online Marketplaces Must Provide More Seller Information
Online marketplaces have made shopping more convenient, but they can also make it difficult to identify the business behind a listing.
The INFORM Consumers Act requires covered online marketplaces to collect and verify information from qualifying high-volume third-party sellers. It also requires marketplaces to disclose certain seller information to consumers in qualifying situations.
Depending on the seller and transaction, shoppers may be able to see information such as:
- The seller’s name or business name
- Contact information
- A physical address or location
- A method for reporting suspicious activity
These requirements are intended to make it harder for dishonest sellers to remain anonymous while offering counterfeit, stolen or unsafe products.
The law does not apply in exactly the same way to every individual selling an item online. Its main requirements concern qualifying high-volume third-party sellers and the marketplaces hosting their products.
Before purchasing from an online marketplace, shoppers should check who is actually selling the product. The marketplace itself may process the payment without being the seller responsible for the item.
Consumers should also review:
- The return deadline
- Who pays for return shipping
- Whether the item is new, used or refurbished
- The seller’s recent reviews
- Available contact information
- The payment method’s fraud protections
A very low price, patriotic design or professional-looking product image does not prove that a seller is trustworthy.
Subscription Cancellation Rules Remain Complicated
Subscription services continue to be a major source of consumer complaints.
In 2024, the FTC announced an amended Negative Option Rule commonly called the “Click-to-Cancel” rule. It was designed to require businesses to make cancellation at least as easy as enrollment.
However, that amended rule was later vacated. In March 2026, the FTC began seeking public comments about negative-option marketing practices and possible future regulatory changes.
As a result, consumers should not assume that the vacated federal Click-to-Cancel requirements currently apply to every subscription company in the United States.
Businesses may still violate existing law when they:
- Hide important subscription terms
- Charge customers without proper authorization
- Misrepresent the price
- Conceal when a free trial becomes paid
- Ignore a valid cancellation request
- Continue billing after confirming cancellation
Some states also have their own automatic-renewal and subscription-cancellation laws.
Before accepting a free trial or membership, consumers should determine:
- How much the service will cost after the trial
- How frequently they will be charged
- Whether the membership renews automatically
- How cancellation works
- How much notice is required
- Whether cancellation produces written confirmation
Consumers should save the original subscription offer and take a screenshot after canceling. Bank and credit-card statements should also be reviewed regularly for unexpected recurring charges.
Consumers Can Dispute Credit-Report Errors
Credit reports can influence decisions involving credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, rental housing and other financial products.
Consumers have the right to challenge information they believe is inaccurate or incomplete. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends first filing the dispute with the credit-reporting company that provided the report. Consumers should clearly explain what is wrong and include copies of supporting documents.
Common credit-report problems can include:
- Accounts that do not belong to the consumer
- Incorrect payment histories
- Payments wrongly reported as late
- Closed accounts listed as open
- Duplicate debts
- Incorrect balances
- Incorrect credit limits
- Personal information connected to another person
Consumers should also contact the lender, debt collector or other company that supplied the incorrect information.
A credit-reporting company generally must investigate a dispute within 30 days, although some investigations may take up to 45 days. The company generally has five business days after completing its investigation to notify the consumer of the result.
Consumers can currently request free weekly online credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com.
Consumers should be cautious with other websites using similar names. Some may advertise a free credit report while attempting to sell monitoring or identity-protection services.
Tenant-Screening Reports Can Also Be Disputed
Credit reports are not the only consumer reports that can affect Americans.
Landlords may use tenant-screening reports to review rental applicants. These reports can contain credit information, rental history, court records or other background information.
An incorrect tenant-screening report could lead to a denied rental application or additional deposit requirements.
When a landlord makes a negative decision based on a consumer report, the applicant may receive an adverse-action notice identifying the reporting company. The applicant can then request a copy of the report and challenge inaccurate or incomplete information.
Consumers reviewing a tenant-screening report should look for:
- Records belonging to another person
- Incorrect addresses
- Duplicate cases
- Outdated information
- Incorrect eviction records
- Wrong payment histories
Applicants should submit disputes in writing when possible and keep copies of every supporting document.
“Made in the USA” Claims Must Be Accurate
Many shoppers intentionally search for products manufactured in the United States.
However, an American flag, patriotic product packaging or U.S.-based company address does not automatically mean that a product was made domestically.
The FTC maintains standards governing unqualified “Made in USA” claims. Businesses making these claims must be able to support them.
Consumers should pay attention to the exact language used on the product.
For example, these phrases do not necessarily mean the same thing:
- Made in the USA
- Assembled in the USA
- Designed in the USA
- Packaged in the USA
- Made in the USA with imported parts
Consumers who consider American manufacturing important should review the complete label rather than relying only on patriotic images.
What Consumers Should Do When Something Goes Wrong
The first step is normally to contact the business directly.
A clear complaint should explain:
- What was purchased
- When the purchase occurred
- How much was paid
- What went wrong
- What resolution is requested
The consumer may request a refund, replacement, cancellation, billing correction or written explanation, depending on the situation.
Consumers should keep copies of:
- Advertisements
- Product listings
- Receipts
- Contracts
- Emails
- Chat conversations
- Cancellation confirmations
- Bank statements
- Credit-card statements
- Photographs and screenshots
Written evidence is especially important when a price, refund promise or cancellation option later disappears from a website.
When the business does not resolve the complaint, the appropriate next step depends on the issue.
Airline complaints may fall under the Department of Transportation. Credit-reporting and financial-product complaints may be submitted to the CFPB. Fraud, deceptive marketing and many marketplace problems may be reported to the FTC.
Consumers can also contact their state attorney general or local consumer-protection agency. State laws may provide protections that go beyond federal requirements.
Filing a government complaint does not guarantee an individual refund. However, complaints can help agencies identify patterns of harmful behavior involving the same company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all hidden fees illegal in the United States?
No. The FTC’s federal fee rule specifically covers live-event tickets and short-term lodging. It requires covered businesses to show the true total price clearly, but it does not ban every fee charged by every type of company.
Other laws may still apply when a business misrepresents a price or charges customers without authorization.
Can an airline give me a voucher instead of a refund?
An airline can offer a voucher. However, when a passenger qualifies for a refund and rejects the airline’s alternative transportation or compensation, the passenger is generally entitled to a refund through the original payment method.
Is Click-to-Cancel currently a nationwide federal requirement?
The FTC’s 2024 amended Click-to-Cancel rule was vacated. The FTC opened a new rulemaking process in March 2026 to gather information about negative-option and subscription practices.
State subscription laws and existing federal protections against deceptive conduct may still apply.
Can I dispute a credit-report error without paying a company?
Yes. Consumers can file disputes themselves. They should contact the credit-reporting company and the business that supplied the information, explain the error and provide copies of supporting evidence.
How often can consumers check their credit reports?
Free weekly online reports are currently available from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com.
Final Takeaway
Consumer protection rules can help Americans avoid hidden charges, obtain eligible airline refunds, identify online sellers and correct inaccurate consumer reports.
However, consumers should not rely on a rule alone to protect them. Before completing an important purchase, shoppers should read the terms, inspect the total price, research the seller and save evidence of the offer.
When a problem occurs, consumers should act quickly, communicate in writing and keep complete records. Understanding these protections can make it easier to challenge an unfair charge and request an appropriate resolution.
This article provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Consumer rights can vary according to the facts of the transaction and the laws of each state.
