It usually starts small. A $2 “processing fee.” A $15 “convenience charge.” A $215 hotel bill that quietly becomes $385 at checkout after tacking on a “resort fee”.

Individually, these charges are annoying but often feel too small to fight. On the corporate side, it’s part of their business model. These “nominal” fees pile up across millions of people in a year, equating to billions in profit.

A Fee by ANY Other Name:

Corporations rarely call them “junk fees.” Instead, they dress them up in official-sounding labels, designed to confuse you and present them as harmless.

Some common offenders:

• Overdraft fees – Banks charging $35 for a transaction that cost them pennies.

• Payment processing fees – Extra charges just to use your card, despite retailers paying much less to credit card networks.

• Resort fees – Hotels tacking on daily charges whether or not you used the pool or gym.

• Apartment fees – Apartments charging amenity fees outside of standard rent.

• Admin surcharges – Restaurants and ticket sellers slipping in vague “administrative” add-ons.

Marriott, An Example

One example of this in practice is a case with Marriott. The hotel company allegedly added “resort fees”, mandatory daily charges that weren’t included in the advertised room rate. Guests would often see a $200 nightly price online, then discover an extra $45 tacked on at checkout.

After investigations by state attorneys general, regulators found that the company’s pricing practices misled consumers and violated state consumer protection laws. The only way to truly end these practices is by pushing back — demanding transparency, reporting abuses, and holding corporations accountable when they cross the line.

Why Companies Use These Tactics

Dark-pattern billing is the practice of hiding fees in fine print, splitting charges into confusing categories, or tacking them on at checkout when you’re least likely to back out. The goal is to make real prices harder to compare and profits easier to inflate without scaring off customers.

Think of it this way: if a $200 hotel stay looks like $200 until you’re halfway through booking, when a $45 “facility fee” suddenly appears, you’re more likely to sigh and accept than start over. That tiny moment of convenience fatigue is worth billions to corporations.

How They Get Away With It

These practices persist largely because few people challenge them.

• We assume the fee is “standard.”

• We’re too busy to spend an hour on hold.

• We feel powerless against giant companies with endless fine print.

Companies understand this dynamic. They rely on consumer fatigue and the complexity of billing systems to keep these charges in place. Regulators often step in only after sustained patterns of complaints, which makes individual reporting and action an important part of accountability.

Taking Action!

Chariot Claims was created to help consumers simplify the process of holding corporations accountable. If you’ve encountered unexplained or excessive fees, you may be eligible for compensation.

👉🏻 Check your eligibility. See if you qualify for current cases at app.chariotclaims.com.

Featured case: We’re currently pursuing a hidden fees case against MySchoolBucks, a platform used by parents nationwide. If you’ve used MySchoolBucks and noticed unexpected charges, see if you qualify here.