The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined StubHub £889,200 for failing to display mandatory additional fees until the final checkout stage, a practice known as drip pricing. The live event ticket marketplace has also been ordered to refund 51,350 customers, with an average payout of £10.33 per person.
Investigation Findings
The CMA investigation covered ticket purchases made between April 5 and December 7, 2025. During this period, StubHub applied compulsory costs such as delivery and service fees only at the end of the checkout process, rather than upfront. This prevented customers from comparing prices accurately before committing to a purchase.
Emma Cochrane, executive director of consumer protection at the CMA, stated: "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 due to extra charges that can’t be avoided."
Enforcement and Penalty
StubHub admitted to breaking the law and agreed to an early settlement, which reduced its fine by 40%. The company also took immediate steps to end the practice and cooperated fully with the CMA during the investigation. Affected customers will be contacted by StubHub and refunded automatically to the card used for the purchase.
Broader Crackdown on Drip Pricing
The CMA is investigating eight companies in total since November 2024 over unfair online pricing practices. Among them is Viagogo, a rival secondary ticket website, which is being examined for similar hidden fee concerns. The regulator plans to release an update on the Viagogo investigation later in the summer.
