Online shops must show the delivery charge in the first price you see, CMA reminds retailers
In an open letter ahead of Christmas, the Competition and Markets Authority set out how mandatory delivery fees have to appear on product pages, in baskets and on marketplaces.
If you cannot buy something online without paying for delivery, the price you are shown should already include the minimum delivery charge you would have to pay, from the advert and product page right through to checkout. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) set that out on Monday in an open letter to online retailers, sent as the Christmas shopping period approaches.
The rule comes from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which requires any price given to a shopper to be the total price, including mandatory delivery or collection fees and any other unavoidable fees, taxes and charges. The CMA published detailed price transparency guidance for businesses, known as CMA209, in November 2025.
The regulator says many businesses have changed how they show prices since the law took effect, but it is concerned that some still are not presenting delivery charges correctly.
Flat and optional charges
Where one flat delivery charge applies to a whole basket, as with many clothing sites, the shop must still show the total including that charge throughout. It can also show a breakdown, for example the price both with and without delivery.
Optional delivery charges work differently. The shop has to make clear throughout that they apply, and if the amount cannot reasonably be worked out in advance, it must say that an extra charge may be payable. Shoppers should not have to dig through separate pages, hidden menus or expandable sections to find out.
The same applies to marketplaces, comparison sites and search engines. When a marketplace lists items from different sellers, each with its own delivery charge, delivery should be included in each product's total price.
Practices the CMA is watching for
The letter lists four:
- a product price shown without a mandatory delivery charge
- basket totals or order summaries that leave out mandatory delivery charges
- optional delivery fees missing, or tucked behind links, separate pages, pop-outs, expandable sections or drop-down menus
- delivery charges that only appear late in checkout
Under the 2024 Act the CMA can impose substantial penalties and require refunds to affected customers. It says 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 in refunds.
