19 November 2025
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is announcing a major package of action covering online pricing practices, including drip pricing and pressure selling, under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA). This move will ensure people can shop with confidence and fair-dealing businesses can compete on a level playing field.
From the outset of the new regime, the CMA has been clear that it will act to protect consumers, support businesses that want to do the right thing and focus early enforcement action on the most egregious practices which are harmful to consumers.
Since April, the CMA has been conducting a major cross-economy review of more than 400 businesses in 19 different sectors to assess compliance with the rules on price transparency.
Using the results of this review, alongside additional monitoring, the CMA identified potential compliance concerns in 14 sectors, including drip pricing and the use of misleading countdown timers, which are banned under the new regime. Consumers need accurate pricing information to know they are getting a fair deal. This is important for consumer confidence when shopping online and impacts economic growth.
The CMA is taking a two-tier approach based on this work - launching enforcement action and sending advisory letters to 100 businesses - while also publishing new guidance for businesses to help them comply with the law.
The investigations launched by the CMA are the first enforcement cases opened using its new powers, which enable it to decide whether consumer laws have been broken, rather than having to go through the courts. If the CMA finds there has been an infringement of the law, it can order businesses to pay compensation to affected customers, as well as fining companies up to 10% of global turnover.
(Source: Competition and Markets Authority, 18 November 2025)
Read the full story on the GOV.UK website.
For more information on the DMCCA, please see 'Protection from unfair trading (criminal law)' and the Business in Focus guides 'Unfair commercial practices' and 'Civil enforcement'.