StubHub Fined $1.1M by UK Regulators for Hiding Ticket Fees

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined StubHub close to £900,000 (which amounted to $1.19 million at the time of this writing), after it found the company failed to include mandatory fees in the price of tickets shown at the beginning of the sales process.

CMA also ordered more than £590,000 ($780,000) to be repaid to more than 50,000 customers, amounting to an average payout of around £10 ($13) per transaction.

“StubHub UK did not show fans the total price upfront when purchasing tickets – as required by law. Instead, a mandatory fee was included later in the process,” according to the CMA’s statement, which continues, “this illegal practice known as drip pricing (…) can cause fans to be caught out by extra charges and to buy tickets they might not otherwise have selected, had they been able to compare prices accurately from the start.”

CMA, by its own admission, examined ticket transaction for gigs and sports events on StubHub UK between April 6 and Dec. 7, 2025, and found that some customers were required to pay mandatory costs such as delivery and service fees. “However,” it goes on to state, “these unavoidable fees were added at the final stage of the checkout process and not included in the total price from the start, which broke consumer law.”

CMA is informing affected customers that they do not need to take action, as StubHub UK will contact fans about their refund, which will be automatically repaid onto the card they used to purchase their tickets.

It also stated that “StubHub UK immediately took steps to end the conduct and engaged constructively with the CMA throughout the investigation. Having admitted breaking the law and agreeing to settle the case early with the CMA, the company received a 40% reduction to its financial penalty. When a company settles, it agrees not to appeal or challenge the decision in court. This allows the CMA to resolve cases faster and get refunds back to consumers more quickly.”

Drip pricing was banned in the UK last year under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. When the CMA’s strengthened consumer powers came into force in April 2025, it committed to tackling hidden fees as well as other unlawful online pricing practices to ensure shoppers were not left out of pocket. Its clear pricing campaign provides businesses with a three-step checklist to make sure their prices are clear and upfront.

Further details about the investigation can be found on a dedicated page on the UK government’s website here.

Comments:

The UK’s Fan Fair Alliance, which has been campaigning for reforms on the secondary market since 2016, welcomed the fines levied against StubHub by CMA. “However,” commented campaign manager Adam Webb, “such illegal practices are only the tip of the iceberg. Over recent years, FanFair Alliance has repeatedly reported far more serious offences to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), where ticket touting websites including StubHub UK and viagogo have facilitated large-scale fraud and systematic breaches of consumer protection laws.

“Regulators should not turn a blind eye to these wider issues. Today’s developments only highlight the urgent need for a root and branch investigation into the anti-consumer practices of offshore ticket resale websites, and for the UK Government to fast-track their long-promised ban on ticket touting.”

Emma Cochrane, Executive Director of Consumer Protection at the CMA, commented, “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.

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

Pollstar has reached out to SubHub/viagogo for comment.

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_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/06/23/uk-competition-and-markets-authority-fines-stubhub-1-1m-over-hidden-fees/)._