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The first price you see should be the price you pay, and the CMA says some shops still get this wrong

Qurexa Editorial Team4 November 20267 min read 0 0
The first price you see should be the price you pay, and the CMA says some shops still get this wrong

What happened

On 2 November 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published an open letter to online retailers in the UK. The message is blunt. If a customer has to pay a delivery charge to buy something, the price shown to them must already include that charge. As the CMA puts it: "The first price consumers see should be the price they pay." The letter is timed deliberately. The CMA says it is writing "as we approach the Christmas shopping period" and is reminding traders to review their websites, mobile apps and online advertising. The legal basis is the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, usually shortened to the DMCC Act. Under that Act, when a price is shown to a shopper as an invitation to purchase, it must be the total price. That includes mandatory delivery or collection fees, and any other unavoidable fees, taxes and charges. The total price has to appear at every stage where a price is shown: adverts, product pages, baskets, checkout and payment pages. The CMA acknowledges that many businesses have already made changes since the Act came into force, and says it welcomes them. But it is "concerned, however, that some businesses remain non-compliant in how they present delivery charges to consumers". It also sets out what happens next. The CMA published detailed price transparency guidance for businesses in November 2025, known as CMA209. Retailers, marketplaces, comparison sites and search engines are told to check their pricing against it. Where the CMA sees ongoing non-compliance, it says it may use its enforcement powers.

Why this matters

Most people have had this experience. You find something at a good price, you get to checkout, and a delivery charge appears that you had not planned for. Sometimes it is a few pounds. Sometimes it changes which shop was actually cheapest. The CMA's point is that this is not just annoying, it breaks the thing shopping is supposed to do. Its letter says clear pricing "helps people compare offers confidently and choose the option that works best for them", and that unexpected charges make it harder to understand the true cost, including between different retailers. There is a fairness angle for honest businesses too. If one shop shows £20 all in, and a competitor shows £15 and adds £6 at checkout, the second shop looks cheaper in a search listing when it is not. Hidden fees reward the retailer who hides them best. The timing before Christmas matters because this is when people are buying the most and comparing the fastest. It is also when people are most likely to be caught out, because they are buying in a hurry. And the rule has a clear practical test. If you cannot avoid paying a fee in order to get the thing you are buying, it belongs in the headline price.

What the evidence actually says

It is worth being accurate about what this letter is. It is not a new law, and it is not a fine. It is a reminder letter, sometimes called an open letter, published by the regulator to the whole sector at once. The law it describes already exists and already applies. It is also not a finding against any named company. The CMA says it has identified issues in how some businesses present delivery charges, but the letter does not accuse specific retailers. What the CMA does say is that it "always seeks to use our enforcement powers in a fair and proportionate manner", and that where non-compliance continues it may use those powers. Under the DMCC Act, the CMA gained the ability to act on consumer protection breaches directly rather than having to go through the courts first, which is why a letter like this carries more weight than similar letters did a few years ago. There is one piece of nuance that is easy to miss. The requirement is to include the minimum mandatory delivery charge. If a shop offers several delivery options, it does not have to headline the price of the most expensive one. But it cannot show a price that assumes a delivery option you cannot actually have for free. The CMA's guidance CMA209 covers more awkward cases in detail, including businesses whose delivery cost genuinely varies, and the letter points readers to Chapter 4 and paragraphs 5.2 to 5.21 of that document.

Qurexa perspective

We deliver things to people's doors for a living, so we have a direct interest in how delivery charges are presented. Our honest view is that the CMA is right, and that clear pricing is easier to run a business on, not harder. When someone is arranging a medicine delivery or a grocery drop for an older relative, the last thing they need is a number that moves between the page and the checkout. It is also worth saying that this applies to us as a customer too. Any business that buys supplies online is affected by the same pricing problem, and the same letter. If you ever find a Qurexa charge unclear, tell us. We would rather fix wording than have somebody feel caught out.

Practical advice

For shoppers, this gives you something concrete to use. If an online price does not include an unavoidable delivery fee, the retailer is very likely not complying with the law. You can say so. Point them to the CMA's open letter of 2 November 2026 and its price transparency guidance. When comparing prices, always compare at checkout, not at the product page, until you trust a retailer. Add one item to the basket and go as far as the payment page to see the real total. Then back out. Watch for charges dressed up with other names: handling fees, packaging fees, service fees, booking fees. The test is not what it is called. The test is whether you could avoid it and still get what you are buying. If a retailer refuses to fix it, you can report the business to Citizens Advice, which shares consumer complaint data with Trading Standards. The CMA itself does not usually resolve individual complaints, but reports help it see patterns. For small businesses selling online, the practical step is the one the CMA sets out. Read CMA209, then check your own product pages, adverts, baskets and checkout for consistency. Doing it in November is much cheaper than being asked about it in January.

What to know

On 2 November 2026 the CMA wrote an open letter to online retailers, reminding them that mandatory delivery fees must be included in the total price shown to customers up front. The requirement comes from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, and applies at every stage where a price appears, including adverts, product pages, baskets and checkout. This is a reminder, not a new law, and no company is named. But the CMA says some businesses remain non-compliant and that it may use its enforcement powers. The practical test for shoppers: if you cannot avoid a fee and still get the item, it should already be in the price you first see. Compare at checkout until you trust a retailer. Sources: Competition and Markets Authority, "Open letter to online retailers: including mandatory delivery fees in the total price", 2 November 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-retailers-including-mandatory-delivery-fees-in-the-total-price/open-letter-to-online-retailers-including-mandatory-delivery-fees-in-the-total-price; GOV.UK, "Online retailers: including mandatory delivery fees in the total price", 2 November 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-retailers-including-mandatory-delivery-fees-in-the-total-price; Competition and Markets Authority, "Price transparency guidance (CMA209)", November 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/price-transparency-and-pricing-practices This article is for general information and is not legal, financial or medical advice. For questions about your own health or medicines, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.

#online shopping#consumer rights#CMA#delivery charges#price transparency#DMCC Act

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