Hopper hid a 'tip' and a VIP fee at checkout and paid the FTC $35M

Hopper, a travel-booking app for flights, hotels and car rentals, promised 'no hidden fees.' At checkout, a 'Swipe to Book' button showed a total price that did not include a pre-selected 'Tip' or a 'VIP Support' charge. Both fees appeared only on a screen the user had to scroll down to find, and both were opted in by default.

The FTC's complaint cited Hopper's own internal testing, which showed the fees were deceptively hidden and that most consumers would decline them if properly disclosed. Internal employee messages described the design as 'tricking users.' VIP Support promised instant access to an agent; many purchasers could not reach one at all. Price Freeze, sold as a way to lock a fare, carried restrictions Hopper did not disclose and did not apply the fee toward the booking as promised.

In July 2026 Hopper agreed to pay $35 million in consumer redress and accepted an order prohibiting it from misrepresenting fees or failing to disclose the total price of any transaction. The case was one of the first enforced under the FTC's Unfair and Deceptive Fees Rule.