The Hidden-Fee Index
The advertised price is rarely the price you pay. This is how much it hides — the sticker plus every extra you actually have to pay to use the thing — across everyday categories. It reports on categories and fee types, never a single business.
For each category we add up every disclosed extra on the example items in our calculator and divide by the advertised price, then average across the examples. It is computed live from our own models, so it moves as the data does. These are illustrative sample figures today and switch to live feeds at launch. Full method: True Cost Methodology.
| # | Category | Advertised price hides | Top hidden costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weddings | +152% | Catering · Catering & drinks · Attire |
| 2 | Event & match-day tickets | +150% | Flights · 2 nights hotel · 1 night hotel |
| 3 | Cruises | +121% | Drinks package · Flights to port · Shore excursions |
| 4 | Printers | +115% | ink, 3 yr · toner, 3 yr |
| 5 | Car hire | +105% | Excess-waiver cover · Full-to-empty fuel policy · Full excess cover |
| 6 | Flights | +104% | Checked bag · Seat selection · self-transfer protection |
| 7 | Backpacker trips | +100% | Hostels · Hostels & guesthouses · Local transport & ferries |
| 8 | Party & group weekends | +100% | Flights · 2 nights apartment share · 2 nights villa share |
| 9 | Ski holidays | +74% | Lift pass · Flights + transfer · Ski & boot hire |
| 10 | Washing machines | +70% | energy, 8 yr · delivery |
| 11 | Luxury jets · ownership | +68% | Maintenance, 5 yr · Crew & training, 5 yr · Fuel, 5 yr |
| 12 | Camping trips | +62% | Ferry/fuel · Fuel · Kit hire |
| 13 | Used cars | +62% | Fuel over 5 years · Insurance over 5 years · Servicing over 5 years |
| 14 | Romantic weekends | +61% | Flights for two · Eurostar for two · Gondola & dinner |
| 15 | Family holidays | +56% | Family flights & bags · Activities & bikes · Transfers |
| 16 | City breaks | +53% | Flights · City tax & transfers · City transfers |
| 17 | Private jet charter | +41% | Repositioning fee · Handling & landing fees · Passenger taxes |
| 18 | Yacht charter | +41% | APA · VAT · Port & berthing fees |
| 19 | Getting there · London → Munich | +32% | Chauffeur, both ends · Chauffeur transfers · Airport transfers, both ends |
| 20 | Luxury holidays · 5-star | +32% | Flights · Seaplane transfer · Resort service charge & tax |
| 21 | Hotels | +32% | Resort / facility fee · Breakfast · City tourist tax |
| 22 | TVs | +32% | energy, 5 yr · wall mount |
| 23 | Private island rental | +30% | Staff & full board · Full staff & chef · Boat transfers & provisioning |
| 24 | Spa & detox retreats | +27% | Two treatments · Flights · Scenic train |
| 25 | Luxury villa rental | +27% | Service charge · Chef & concierge, week · Tourist tax |
| 26 | Sun holidays | +22% | Checked bags · Airport transfers · Carbon offset |
| 27 | Hiking & adventure (solo-friendly) | +22% | Flights · Train |
| 28 | Reserve · luxury | +21% | berthing & crew, 5 yr · fuel & maintenance, 5 yr · Servicing over 5 years |
| 29 | Phones | +15% | insurance, 3 yr · AppleCare+ · case |
| 30 | Laptops | +13% | warranty · AppleCare+ · dock |
| 31 | Pre-loved clothes | +13% | shipping |
| 32 | Trains & rail | +10% | Booking fee |
| 33 | Luxury concierge | +10% | Elite joining fee · Joining fee · Setup |
| 34 | Property & buy-to-let | +5% | Light refurb · Legal & survey · Stamp duty |
| 35 | Running shoes | +0% | None — the price is the price |
| 36 | Attractions & activities | +0% | None — the price is the price |
| 37 | Airport transfers | +0% | None — the price is the price |
| 38 | eSIM & travel data | +0% | None — the price is the price |
Read as: for every €100 on the sticker, this many euro extra before you’ve finished paying. Fee names are generic types, not brands.
The Index is the big picture. Run any real option through the calculator for a sourced, dated, confidence-graded figure — no business ranked above another.
Frequently asked
Any cost that the advertised or sticker price leaves out but you still have to pay to actually use the thing — for example checked-bag and seat fees on a flight, excess-waiver cover and fuel policies on car hire, or ink over the life of a printer.
For each category we take the example items in the TrueTotal calculator, add up every disclosed extra, and express it as a percentage of the advertised price, then average across the examples. It is computed live from our own category models, so it updates as the data does. Figures are illustrative sample data today and move to live feeds at launch.
No. The Index reports on cost categories and fee types only — it never names or ranks an individual business, and TrueTotal never sells rankings.
Categories with large recurring or add-on costs tend to hide the most as a share of the sticker — consumables like printer ink, and travel where bags, insurance, fuel and on-site fees stack on top of the headline price.
Go deeper on the fees
Browse all buyer guides, or run a real option through the calculator.
Illustrative sample data for general education — actual fees vary by operator, destination and date. Confirm live prices and your consumer rights with the seller before you buy. TrueTotal provides guidance, not financial or legal advice, and never sells rankings.