I paid $148 on a passport website. Did that include the government passport fee?
Probably not. The FTC alleges GovAssist and Entry charged at least $119 plus $29 shipping for their own service and underplayed or omitted the separate State Department fees, so some consumers paid twice. The official application and execution fees are paid to the government and are not refundable even if no passport is issued.
What to do now
- Check your bank statement for a payment to "U.S. Department of State" versus a private company.
- Contact your card issuer about the private charge.
Who owns the resolution
Your card issuer for disputes; the court for the FTC case.
Evidence to prepare
- Your account email or user ID
- Screenshots or a confirmation number for the specific order/booking/transaction
- Any messages you already exchanged with support about this
Turn this answer into a question about your case
Give another AI the facts it needs—not just “what should I do?”
I need practical help with a Passport services (GovAssist case) issue. The policy question: I paid $148 on a passport website. Did that include the government passport fee? Useful context I found: Probably not. The FTC alleges GovAssist and Entry charged at least $119 plus $29 shipping for their own service and underplayed or omitted the separate State Department fees, so some consumers paid twice. The official application and execution fees are paid to the government and are not refundable even if no passport is issued. My specific situation: [Describe what happened, including dates and messages shown] The outcome I want: [Refund, verification, appeal, account recovery, explanation, etc.] Important constraints: [Country, deadline, booking/account status, documents already submitted, budget, or other limits] Please: 1. Identify any missing facts you need before reaching a conclusion. 2. Separate platform policy, local law, and your own inference. 3. Give me the safest next steps in priority order. 4. Use current official sources where possible and flag anything that may have changed. 5. Draft a concise message I can paste to customer support. 6. Do not invent account access, guarantees, refund rights, or legal conclusions.
Why this policy exists
The FTC complaint summary (Oct 22, 2026) describes the $148 minimum and the omitted government fees. The State Department fee page says applying at an acceptance facility involves two payments: the application fee to the "U.S. Department of State" and a $35 acceptance fee to the facility, and that the application fee and execution fee are non-refundable by law.
- FTC Sues Perpetrators of Government Impersonation Scheme Over Deceptive Ads, Misleading Promises and Fake Reviews (Oct 22, 2026) — Federal Trade Commission
- Passport Fees (U.S. Department of State, last updated March 19, 2026) — U.S. Department of State
Last verified against the sources above on 2026-10-23. Policy and deadlines can change -- use the official support link below for the current rule.
Need to act on your account?
AMS explains the rule but cannot access your account, issue a refund or change a platform decision.