Ordering dinner or groceries through an app may feel convenient, but that ease can quickly fade when the final total swells with service charges, delivery fees, and other add-ons that were not clearly disclosed at the start.

Now, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is urging federal regulators to make those costs easier for customers to see before they get to checkout, WECT reported.

What's happening?

Jackson announced May 27 that he had signed a bipartisan attorneys general letter urging the Federal Trade Commission to take action on hidden charges in food and grocery delivery apps.

The push comes after the FTC invited public input in April on possible new rules for delivery charges, WECT reported. In a letter to the agency, the attorneys general argued that platforms should show customers the full price from the beginning and at each step of an order, rather than waiting until the very end to reveal the total.

The coalition also asked the FTC to spell out every fee for users and explain how those charges are calculated. Another major request was for apps to disclose when menu prices are higher on the platform than in stores or at restaurants.

Jackson joined attorneys general from states including New York, Tennessee, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Why does it matter?

For many households, food delivery apps are no longer just an occasional luxury. They have become a regular way to order restaurant meals and groceries, especially for older adults and people with limited mobility.

Surprise fees and marked-up menu prices can add pressure to already stretched budgets, making essentials cost more than shoppers expected.

The coalition also raised concerns that some platforms could be using customer information to tailor prices to individual users, WECT noted. If companies charge different users different amounts based on what they know about them, some people could end up paying more simply because an algorithm assumes they will.

What's being done?

The attorneys general want the FTC to adopt rules that would make pricing easier to understand from the outset. Their recommendations center on three core ideas: show the full price early, explain each added fee, and clearly flag when app prices are higher than in-person prices.

Whether the FTC ultimately acts remains to be seen, but the request from North Carolina and a bipartisan group of states adds momentum to calls for more transparent pricing in an increasingly essential part of daily life.

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