New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hit the ground running, signing two executive orders in his first week that combat hidden junk fees.
The avowed democratic socialist signed orders targeting business practices that “drain money from New Yorkers and make essential goods and services less affordable,” per a release from his office on Monday.
In a Monday speech announcing the orders, Mamdani said, “We reckon with it when we try to buy concert tickets, when we book a flight, when we settle our credit card bill, or even when we pay rent. A $5 fee here, a $10 fee there — what seems small adds up quickly.”
His first order targeted fees that “do not meaningfully contribute to the service” and are hidden until after the purchase has been made, the release said.
The second order focused on what Mamdani called “subscription traps and tricks,” including free trials that automatically convert into paid plans, and subscriptions disguised as one-time purchases. The order also talked about subscriptions that make cancellations “intentionally difficult.”
Business Insider launched the “The Future of Capitalism” series this week, examining ways Americans’ confidence in capitalism has been eroding and what related changes in our economy mean for your work and wealth. Read the first installment: The new American capitalism.
During his speech, Mamdani was accompanied by Sam Levine, his newly appointed commissioner of New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Levine previously served as a director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
To combat junk fees, Mamdani announced that he would establish a citywide junk fee task force to crack down on offending businesses.
In 2023, the Biden administration also took aim at junk fees. In his State of the Union address in February 2023, former President Joe Biden criticized hidden hotel fees and surcharges on purchases, such as plane tickets.
In May 2025, the FTC announced a new rule on unfair or deceptive fees, which prohibits “bait-and-switch” pricing and misrepresentation of fees for live-event tickets and short-term lodging.
Mamdani was sworn in as New York’s mayor on January 1. The 34-year-old, one of the youngest to hold the top job, centered his mayoral campaign on fixing New York City’s affordability crisis.
