Imagine scrolling through ticket listings for your favourite band, seeing a price that seems reasonable, and clicking through to checkout only to find mandatory delivery and service fees have bumped up the total by £10 or more. That feeling of being tricked is exactly what the UK's competition watchdog is cracking down on. In June 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fined ticket reseller StubHub UK almost £900,000 and ordered it to refund more than 50,000 customers for hiding these extra charges until the last moment — a practice known as drip pricing.
Drip pricing is when a business shows an initial price for a product or service, then adds unavoidable fees and charges later in the buying process, often at the final checkout stage. The headline price looks like a bargain, but the real cost only emerges step by step. It has been illegal under UK consumer law since the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act came into force last year. The CMA investigated StubHub UK and found that between 6 April and 7 December 2025, some customers buying tickets for gigs and sports events were required to pay mandatory delivery and service fees that were not shown upfront. The regulator said the practice broke the law because the fees were unavoidable and were hidden until the end.
“An explainer on drip pricing in the UK, using the CMA's action against StubHub as a key example.”
The CMA's action against StubHub is part of a wider crackdown on online pricing practices. Last year, the watchdog launched investigations into eight companies, including rival ticket reseller Viagogo, AA Driving School, BSM Driving School, Gold's Gym, Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Marks Electrical. The probes look at issues such as pressure selling, misleading countdown clocks, and drip pricing. Under the new consumer law, the CMA has stronger powers: it can now decide whether consumer law has been broken without going to court, order businesses to pay compensation, and impose fines. StubHub admitted breaking the law and received a 40% reduction on its penalty, resulting in a fine of £889,200 plus refunds totalling more than £590,000 to 51,350 customers, averaging about £10.33 per transaction.
For UK readers, this matters because hidden fees are common not just on ticket sites but across online shopping — from travel bookings to gym memberships. The CMA's message is clear: businesses must be transparent about total costs upfront or face enforcement action. Emma Cochrane, the CMA's executive director of consumer protection, said: "Hitting customers with hidden fees is illegal. It's not fair to draw people in with what looks like a good deal, only for them to find the real price is higher when they get to the checkout."
Q: What exactly is drip pricing? Drip pricing is a sales tactic where a business advertises a low initial price and then gradually adds mandatory fees — such as booking fees, service charges, or delivery costs — during the checkout process. The final price is higher than the headline price, and the extras are hard or impossible to avoid.
Q: Is drip pricing illegal in the UK? Yes. The practice was banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which came into force last year. The CMA can investigate and fine companies that fail to show the full price upfront. StubHub UK was fined nearly £900,000 for breaking this law.
Q: How can I avoid falling for drip pricing? Before entering payment details, look for a total price breakdown. If mandatory fees appear only at the final stage, consider buying elsewhere. You can also report misleading pricing to the CMA. Many reputable retailers now display all-inclusive prices from the start.
What happens next? The CMA continues to investigate Viagogo and the other seven companies under its review. StubHub has said the hidden fees were due to an "isolated platform error" and that it has fixed the issue. Affected customers do not need to take any action; StubHub will automatically refund them. The regulator has warned all businesses to be transparent on costs or risk CMA action.