Concert Ticket Fees in Canada: What Drip Pricing Law Means and How to Compare the Real Price

Ticket fees in Canada are legal, but hiding them is not. Under the Competition Act's drip pricing rule, a seller cannot advertise a price that cannot be obtained because mandatory fixed fees, other than taxes, are added later. In January 2026 the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a $38.978 million penalty against Cineplex over a $1.50 online booking fee that was drip pricing. In September 2026 the Federal Court ruled that itemized ticket fees are not drip pricing when every mandatory charge appears together on the same screen, and that federal law does not require a single all-in price. Ontario and Quebec ticket rules go further and require the total price. In practice, compare tickets by the final total before you pay, not by the headline price.

What drip pricing means

In 2022 Parliament added an express drip pricing provision to the Competition Act. It treats as false or misleading a price representation that is not attainable because fixed obligatory charges or fees must be paid on top of it, unless those are government charges such as sales tax. The Competition Bureau's guidance is that the advertised price should include all mandatory fees, with only taxes added.

The rule targets the pattern most ticket buyers know: a headline price on the event page, then service fees, facility charges and order fees appearing at checkout. If the fees are mandatory and were not in the price you were shown, the price you were shown was not the real price.

The Cineplex case

The Competition Tribunal found in 2024 that Cineplex's online booking fee, $1.50 a ticket for most customers, was drip pricing, because the advertised ticket price could not be obtained online without it. It ordered an administrative monetary penalty of $38.978 million. On 21 January 2026 the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Cineplex's appeal and upheld the penalty. Cineplex said it would seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The September 2026 Ticketmaster ruling

In Kuling v Ticketmaster, decided on 22 September 2026, the Federal Court declined to certify a proposed class action over a $2.50 order processing fee. The Court held that itemizing fees is not drip pricing when every mandatory charge is clearly visible on the same screen at the same time; drip pricing requires both concealment and a sequence in which fees are added later. The Court also said federal law does not require a single all-in price; that is for Parliament to decide. Commentators noted that it is a single Federal Court decision and that a different page design could be treated differently.

Provincial rules: Ontario and Quebec

Provincial law can require more than the Competition Act. Ontario's Ticket Sales Act, 2017 requires primary sellers to disclose the total price of a ticket in Canadian dollars, including an itemized list of fees, service charges and taxes, and to print or display the total price paid on the ticket. For resale, Ontario caps the resale price at the original total price, plus taxes and the platform's standard fees, and requires a written money-back guarantee or proof of validity. Quebec's consumer protection law also requires the total price to be shown. Other provinces rely mainly on general consumer protection law.

How to compare the real price

1. Go to the last screen before payment for each option, with the same number of tickets.
2. Write down the total, including every fee and tax.
3. Divide by the number of tickets for a per-ticket total.
4. Note any per-order fee. It matters more for one ticket than for four.
5. Compare delivery options. Mobile tickets are usually free; some sellers charge for other methods.
6. Take a screenshot of the total before paying.

Ways to pay fewer fees

• Buy at the venue box office in person where it sells without online fees.
• Buy several tickets in one order if a per-order fee applies.
• Use the venue's or team's own season or membership pre-sales, which sometimes have lower fees.
• For smaller venues, buy from the venue or the artist's site.
• Choose mobile delivery over paid delivery options.
• Do not pay for optional add-ons you will not use, such as ticket insurance you do not need.

When to complain, and to whom

If an advertised price could not be obtained because of mandatory fees added later, you can report it to the Competition Bureau. For a sale in Ontario, ticket rules are enforced by Consumer Protection Ontario; in Quebec, by the Office de la protection du consommateur. For a ticket that turns out to be fake, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your card issuer. Keep screenshots of the price at each step.

Example with made-up inputs: two ways a price is shown

These numbers are an example with made-up inputs. They are not real ticket prices. Option A shows $79.50 on the event page. At checkout, a $14.25 service fee, a $3 facility charge and a $2.50 order fee are added, then 13% tax on the subtotal. The total for one ticket is $112.15. Option B shows $89.00 with all fees included, and only tax is added at checkout.

Option A's headline was lower, but Option B costs $11.58 less once fees and tax are added. That is the reason to compare at the last screen.

Common mistakes

• Comparing headline prices instead of checkout totals.
• Paying a per-order fee three times by buying tickets in separate orders.
• Buying from a look-alike resale site because it appeared first in search results.
• Not taking a screenshot of the total before paying.
• Assuming a resale price above face value is allowed in Ontario; it is capped.

For buying resale tickets safely, see resale tickets without getting scammed.