StubHub fined £889,000 and told to refund fans who paid hidden fees

Anna Wise, Press Association Business Reporter

StubHub has been fined £889,200 by the UK’s competition watchdog for not showing people additional fees on tickets until they got to checkout.

The live event ticket marketplace will also have to refund more than 50,000 customers with an average payout of £10.33.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was investigating the platform as part of a drive to clamp down on illegal and unfair online pricing practices.

It found that StubHub was using an illegal practice known as drip pricing, which can cause fans to be caught out by extra charges and means they may not have had a chance to accurately compare prices between sellers.

Between April 5 and December 7 2025, some customers were required to pay mandatory costs such as delivery and service fees when they purchased a ticket on the platform.

But the charges were applied at the final stage of the checkout process and not given upfront at the start, the CMA found.

Emma Cochrane, executive director of consumer protection at the CMA, said: “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.”

StubHub will contact the 51,350 fans about their refund which will be automatically repaid onto the card used to purchase their tickets.

The company immediately took steps to end the practice and worked with the CMA during its investigation, the watchdog said.

It also admitted to breaking the law and agreed to settle the case early, meaning it qualified for a 40% reduction on the fine.

The CMA is also investigating rival secondary ticket website Viagogo over concerns about hidden fees and will share an update later in the summer.

The regulator has been probing eight companies in total since November last year over their online pricing practices

Tara Evans, Personal Finance Expert at Confused.com, commented: “Consumers should be able to see exactly what they’ll pay for a ticket from the outset. When mandatory fees are only added at the final stage of checkout, it becomes much harder to compare prices and make informed decisions. The CMA’s action against StubHub is a positive step towards greater transparency and helps ensure consumers aren’t faced with unexpected costs at the point of purchase.

“This comes at a time when demand for tickets remains high, with major tours and festival season in full swing. Whether it’s additional fees appearing late in the booking process or consumers falling victim to fraudulent sellers, unexpected costs can quickly turn an exciting purchase into an expensive mistake. Our research found that Brits lost almost £11 million to ticket fraud between March 2025 and March 2026, underlining the importance of transparency and trust throughout the ticket-buying journey.

“When buying tickets online, consumers should always check the final price before paying, use trusted ticket sellers or resale platforms and, where possible, pay by credit card for purchases over £100 to benefit from Section 75 protection. Taking a few moments to research the seller, verify the website and understand exactly what’s included in the ticket price can help consumers avoid unnecessary costs and make the most of this summer’s events without feeling misled.”