The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has written to online retailers selling to UK consumers, reminding them that mandatory delivery fees must be included in the total price and shown up front.
The open letter, published on 2 November, says some businesses are still not compliant in how they show delivery charges, and that the CMA is committed to taking enforcement action if this continues.
What the law requires
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act), any price given to a consumer must be the total price, including mandatory delivery or collection fees and any other unavoidable fees, taxes and charges. That total must appear wherever a price is given, including advertising, product pages, baskets, checkout and payment pages.
Where one flat delivery charge applies to a basket of several items, the retailer must still show the total price including that charge throughout the shopping process. A breakdown can be shown alongside it, for example a product price both with and without delivery.
Optional delivery charges, such as next-day delivery, must be flagged clearly throughout. If the amount cannot reasonably be worked out in advance, the retailer must say that an extra charge may apply. The rules also cover online marketplaces, comparison sites and search engines.
What the CMA is looking for
The letter lists four practices:
- product prices shown without the mandatory delivery charge
- mandatory delivery charges left out of basket totals or order summaries
- information on optional delivery fees missing, or placed behind links, separate pages, pop-outs, expandable sections or drop-down menus
- delivery charges not shown until late in checkout
The CMA can impose substantial penalties under the DMCC Act and require redress for affected consumers. It said it has already enforced the drip pricing rules against four businesses, with fines totalling more than £5.1 million and more than £1.35 million refunded to consumers.
The letter points retailers to the CMA’s price transparency guidance (CMA209), published in November 2025.
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