News

The 2026 Spring Festival travel rush will commence in late January. Features such as ticket-booking assistance, one-stop services, and smoother system experiences have made numerous third-party ticketing platforms the preferred choice for many in recent years. To enhance user retention and generate greater profits, these platforms are developing and offering an increasing array of ‘value-added services’ alongside the base prices for train and air tickets. Several years ago, authorities launched a crackdown on ticketing platforms due to widespread practices of ‘pre-ticked’ bundled sales of insurance and acceleration packages. The E-commerce Law explicitly prohibits bundled products from being set as default options. However, while ‘pre-ticked’ boxes have become less common, they have been replaced by more covert and intricate ‘price sorting traps’ and ‘visual misdirection’.

Numerous consumers report having paid for obscure ‘service fees’ without their knowledge. How do these hidden charges arise, and how can consumers' rights to information and choice be safeguarded? In response, Zhao Zhanling, a special researcher at the Intellectual Property Research Centre of China University of Political Science and Law and partner at JAVY Law Firm, provided an in-depth analysis of these issues during an interview with China National Radio's Voice of China programme.

Recently, a consumer in Guangxi lodged a complaint on a consumer rights platform regarding issues with a third-party ticketing platform. In November this year, while purchasing a second-class couchette ticket from Liuzhou to Hangzhou South via a mini-programme, the consumer observed a ticket price of 404 yuan with ‘free berth selection’ displayed. However, upon payment, the total surged to 515 yuan. The berth selection page failed to indicate varying prices for different berths, and the ticket cost over 100 yuan more despite no insurance being purchased. When queried, customer service acknowledged the ‘free’ label as misleading, citing rapid payment page redirection and imposing a refund fee. Another Sichuan consumer encountered an issue in October when purchasing tickets on a platform. The homepage displayed a price of 50 yuan, but a pop-up showed 72 yuan. Upon clicking the back button, the system automatically issued the ticket. As the consumer had enabled password-free payments, the transaction completed successfully. Only upon requesting a refund did they discover the additional amount covered supplementary services like ‘worry-free ticket cancellation.’ No tick boxes or pop-up prompts appeared during the booking process, and the consumer failed to notice any explicit mention of service fees.

Under relevant national legislation, ticketing platforms must not pre-select insurance, priority processing packages, membership schemes, or similar value-added services. Where goods or services are bundled directly or offered through multiple optional selections, consumers must be prominently alerted.

Investigations reveal that while forced bundling is now rare, platforms' diverse ‘value-added services’ and convoluted page designs substantially increase consumer burdens. A previous survey by the Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Council revealed that over 90% of respondents had used third-party ticketing platforms, yet more than half considered hidden consumption traps to be the most prominent issue.

Trap One: Misleading Sorting Rules – Price-based sorting guides consumers towards selecting packages with added value-added services.

When a reporter searched for a high-speed rail journey from Shanghai to Beijing on a booking mini-programme, the second-class ticket price was listed as 576 yuan. However, the top result displayed on the search page showed a price of 574 yuan, purportedly discounted by two yuan. Upon clicking through to the booking page, the payment amount in the bottom-left corner changed to 626 yuan. Only after expanding the details did it become apparent that this included fees for value-added services such as expedited booking and refund/change compensation.

Attorney Zhao Zhanling noted that many booking platforms arrange listings from lowest to highest price, with the top result appearing as the cheapest option. However, consumers cannot purchase tickets at this purported lowest price without first acquiring additional products. This misleads consumers regarding the pricing sequence. Most users' default browsing behaviour assumes the first result represents the lowest price, leading them to proceed with purchase.

Trap Two: Visual Misrepresentation — Page design visually separates value-added services, creating the illusion of separate charges.

For instance, when a reporter searched for a flight from Sanya to Beijing on another booking platform, the top-ranked option priced at 3,640 yuan featured a ‘Book Now’ button positioned alongside the price. Below a dividing line, the text ‘Recommended Flight Protection Package’ appeared as if it required an additional click to purchase, yet it was actually part of a bundled package deal.

Solicitor Zhao Zhanling highlighted that consumers assume value-added services require separate clicks rather than being bundled with the initial ¥3,640 fare. Should they fail to scrutinise the payment screen, they effectively fall into the platform's trap.

Furthermore, it is a common tactic to manipulate consumers' visual inertia by designing the “Includes Service Fee” button in a bright colour and prominent position, while rendering the “Standard Booking” button dull and inconspicuous, thereby inducing clicks.