The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined StubHub £889,200 for failing to display additional fees until the checkout stage, a practice known as drip pricing. The secondary ticket marketplace must also refund more than 50,000 customers affected by the hidden charges, with an average payout of £10.33 per person.
Investigation into Unfair Pricing
The CMA launched an investigation into StubHub as part of a broader clampdown on illegal and unfair online pricing practices. The regulator found that between April 5 and December 7, 2025, StubHub applied mandatory costs such as delivery and service fees only at the final stage of the checkout process, without disclosing them upfront. This prevented customers from accurately comparing prices across sellers and caught many fans off guard with unexpected extra charges.
Drip Pricing Declared Illegal
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.” The CMA emphasised that such practices violate consumer protection law and undermine trust in online marketplaces.
Refunds and Compliance
StubHub will contact 51,350 affected customers to arrange automatic refunds credited to the payment card used for the original purchase. The company has since taken steps to end the practice and cooperated with the CMA during the investigation. StubHub also admitted to breaking the law and agreed to an early settlement, which qualified it for a 40% reduction in the fine.
Wider Industry Scrutiny
The CMA is also investigating rival secondary-ticket website Viagogo over similar concerns about hidden fees, with an update expected later in the summer. Since November last year, the regulator has been probing eight companies in total over their online pricing practices. Michael Gietzen, group chief executive officer at Identity, commented: “This isn’t really a story about £10 refunds. It’s about whether consumers can trust online pricing at all. If one of the world’s biggest ticket marketplaces can present prices that don’t include unavoidable fees, it begs the question: how widespread is this practice across live events and other digital marketplaces?”
Impact on Consumer Trust
Gietzen added: “The CMA’s action sends a warning to every ticketing platform: transparency isn’t optional. Fans have become conditioned to expect a higher price at checkout, and that’s a sign of a market that isn’t working properly. The fan experience should be the top priority for any organiser.” StubHub has been approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
