New UK Laws Ban Hidden Fees and Fake Reviews: What You Need to Know

Following the 2023 updates to pricing transparency, the UK government has introduced even stronger consumer protection measures under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which came into force in April 2025. This latest legislation takes aim at hidden charges—known as “drip pricing”—and the widespread issue of fake online reviews.

If you sell online, here’s what the new rules mean—and how we design websites that stay compliant and build trust with your customers.

What’s changed?

The new rules are part of the government’s wider crackdown on deceptive digital practices. Here are the two big changes online retailers need to be aware of:

• Drip pricing is now illegal: All compulsory fees—such as booking or administrative costs—must be included in the price shown upfront. It’s no longer acceptable to add these at the end of the checkout process.

• Fake reviews are banned: Businesses must not post or host fake reviews, and must take reasonable steps to ensure reviews displayed on their site are genuine. Incentivised reviews that aren’t clearly labelled are also not allowed.

What this means for online retailers

If you’re selling products or services online, it’s now more important than ever to be completely transparent with your pricing and customer feedback. Failing to comply can result in fines, customer complaints, and damage to your brand’s reputation.

How we help at The Pixel Room

When you work with us, you can be confident that your website will be designed with both best practice and legal compliance in mind. For clients with e-commerce websites, we:

• Ensure all pricing is transparent and includes all required fees

• Avoid hidden costs by displaying charges clearly across the buying journey

• Help integrate legitimate review systems with verification mechanisms

• Provide advice on promotional pricing that follows the law

• Keep your checkout experience clean, compliant, and conversion-friendly

Whether you're launching a new online store or reviewing an existing one, we’re here to make sure your e-commerce setup is both user-friendly and fully compliant.

Looking ahead

These updates are just one part of a wider push to make the digital marketplace safer and more honest. With further legislation likely to follow—especially around subscriptions, AI, and personal data—staying ahead is key.

At The Pixel Room, we’ll continue to monitor the changes so that your site stays up to date and legally sound.