Since 6 April 2025, section 230 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has required an invitation to purchase, such as an advert or a price on a website, to give the total price, including any fees the consumer will necessarily pay. Where the total cannot reasonably be worked out in advance, it must say how the price is calculated. Showing a lower headline price and adding compulsory fees later is drip pricing. For packages, the Package Travel Regulations also require the information given before the contract to include the total price with all additional fees.

What the CMA’s guidance says

The CMA’s price transparency guidance (CMA209, November 2025) treats administration fees, however described, such as booking or processing fees, as mandatory charges. It says:

• mandatory per-transaction fees should always be in the invitation to purchase and, wherever possible, in the total price, even in early-stage advertising

• a “from” price should include the fee for the smallest possible purchase

• a £50 ticket marked with an asterisk, with a £1 booking fee explained further down the page, is prohibited partitioned pricing: the price shown should be £51

• a per-transaction fee does not on its own mean the total price cannot be calculated in advance.

Card surcharges and ATOL receipts

A card surcharge is different. It is a fee for paying by a particular method, and the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 ban such fees for payments by consumer cards.

Agents of ATOL holders also have a receipt rule. Under ATOL Agency Term 2.3, an agent’s receipt must show which part of the payment is protected by the ATOL holder’s ATOL and which is not. The CAA says this means any booking fee an agent charges must be shown separately on receipts.