Monreal Proposes Ban on Hidden Fees in Online Purchases

Mexico City — Ricardo Monreal, the coordinator of Morena in the Chamber of Deputies, has introduced a bill to strengthen consumer protections for online shopping, requiring digital platforms to disclose the real cost of the products and services they offer from the outset.

The proposal targets so-called drip pricing, a common commercial practice in which additional charges stay hidden until the end of a transaction. The initial price looks low, but fees, commissions or shipping costs that were never announced get added during checkout.

Under the initiative, digital platforms would have to provide clear information about the total, final cost consumers will pay before completing a purchase, preventing them from raising the price with surprise charges at the moment of payment.

What the Bill Would Require

The initiative sets out three main obligations for digital platforms:

• Show the final price of the product or service from the start, including taxes, commissions, fees and any other applicable charge.
• Prohibit any increase to the advertised amount through charges that were not previously communicated to the consumer.
• Visibly identify when an offer, discount, promotion or preferential price is advertising or promotional content.

That last condition would allow users to distinguish between a commercial recommendation and a genuinely favorable purchase option.

Targeting Bait Pricing

Monreal’s proposal also seeks to curb bait pricing — prices designed to lure consumers in with low amounts before unexpected charges are added. It further aims to make digital advertising more transparent and to stop practices that make it difficult for shoppers to compare options or learn the final cost before paying.

The initiative, which would add provisions on price transparency for digital platforms to the Federal Consumer Protection Law, was presented Friday, Sept. 11, in the Chamber of Deputies.