Ticket reseller StubHub UK has been ordered by the watchdog to cough up nearly £1m for hiding mandatory extra fees from customers.

One of the UK’s largest ticket marketplaces has been fined £900,000 by the regulator for failing to display the total price upfront to fans purchasing tickets. 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that the platform broke consumer law by failing to show a mandatory fee in the upfront ticket cost presented to more than 50,000 fans. 

StubHub has been ordered to repay more than £590,000 to misled customers on top of the £900,000 fine, with each wronged user expected to receive a payout of around £10 per transaction. 

The investigation, which examined customers’ purchasing experience on StubHub between 6 April and 7 December 2025, revealed that unavoidable mandatory costs, such as delivery and service fees, were added only at checkout and not displayed in the initial price. 

Fee-hiding ‘masks bad deals’

This illegal practice, known as drip pricing, was banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. 

The StubHub penalty is part of the CMA’s work to clamp down on illegal online pricing practices. 

Since the CMA gained stronger consumer powers in April 2025, it has conducted reviews of over 400 businesses to assess compliance with price-transparency rules. 

Emma Cochrane, executive director of consumer protection at the CMA, said it is “not fair to draw people in with what looks like a good deal” when a higher price is only revealed at checkout. 

“Going to a live gig or sports game is an event many people save for – and our action today means thousands of fans will get back money taken unfairly through hidden fees,” she said.

Fans ‘now expect higher prices’

When made aware of the investigation, StubHub admitted to breaking the law and agreed to settle the case early with the CMA. The company was granted a 40 per cent reduction to its financial penalty.

The CMA says it gives businesses a three-step checklist to ensure prices are clear and upfront. 

“Our message to businesses is simple: be transparent on costs or risk CMA action,” Cochrane said.

Michael Geitzen, chief executive at creative agency Identity, said: “The CMA’s action sends a warning to every ticketing platform: transparency isn’t optional.” He added, “Fans have become conditioned to expect a higher price at checkout, and that’s a sign of a market that isn’t working properly.”