- More than 50,000 customers will receive automatic refunds.
- StubHub was fined almost £900,000 by the CMA.
- The case centres on "drip pricing", a practice banned under UK law.
More than 50,000 StubHub customers are set to receive refunds after the UK's competition watchdog found the ticket resale platform failed to clearly display mandatory charges during the buying process.
The action marks one of the largest enforcement cases so far under new consumer protection rules targeting hidden ticket fees and drip pricing. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined StubHub UK nearly £900,000 and secured refunds worth more than £590,000 for affected customers.
According to the regulator, customers buying tickets for concerts, sporting events and theatre shows were initially shown one price but later faced additional compulsory charges, including service and delivery fees, before completing their purchase.
The extra costs that appeared at checkout
The CMA said the issue affected transactions made between April 6 and December 7, 2025.
Its investigation found that some unavoidable charges were not disclosed upfront and instead appeared at the final stages of checkout. Under UK consumer law, businesses must clearly show the total price customers will pay, including any mandatory fees.
The regulator argued that the practice amounted to "drip pricing", where consumers are drawn in by an advertised price only to discover additional costs later in the purchasing process. The practice was explicitly banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
As part of the settlement, StubHub will automatically refund affected customers. The company is expected to contact eligible buyers directly, with payments returned to the card used for the original purchase. Individual refund amounts will vary, although the average payment is expected to be around £10.
Regulator sends warning to businesses
The CMA said StubHub cooperated with the investigation and took steps to correct the issue after being notified.
Because the company admitted breaching consumer rules and agreed to settle the case early, it received a 40 per cent reduction in its financial penalty.
Emma Cochrane, executive director of consumer protection at the CMA, reportedly said hidden fees are illegal because they prevent customers from accurately comparing prices before making a purchase.
She reportedly added that many people save for live events and that the regulator's action would ensure thousands of customers receive money back that they should not have been charged.
StubHub said the problem resulted from an "isolated platform error" and insisted its UK platform is designed to display all fees upfront. A company spokesperson reportedly said the issue had been identified and corrected promptly, with all affected customers set to receive automatic refunds.
The case also highlights the CMA's broader crackdown on drip pricing. The watchdog said it has already secured more than £1.95 million in customer refunds and issued fines exceeding £5.7 million since gaining stronger consumer enforcement powers.
Investigations into other businesses, including ticket marketplace Viagogo, are still ongoing, with further updates expected later this summer.
