Should you put your prices on your website?

A £3 booking fee just cost one UK business almost £5 million. The lesson for every service business is simple. Show the real price, early.

If you run a service business, you have probably asked yourself whether you should put your prices on your website. Maybe you worry it will scare people off. Maybe you think every job is different, so a price is impossible. I get it. But the rules on showing prices in the UK have changed in a big way, and your buyers have changed with them.

By the end of this post you will know what the regulator now expects, why a clear price helps you win the right clients, and three ways to show one even when every quote is different.

What just happened to hidden fees in the UK?

Quick Answer: Since April 2025 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can fine businesses directly for consumer law breaches, and in April 2026 it fined the AA £4.2 million over a booking fee left out of the upfront price.

On 15 April 2026 the CMA ordered AA Driving School and BSM Driving School to refund customers. The problem was a mandatory £3 booking fee that was added later in the booking, not shown in the first price. Over £760,000 is going back to more than 80,000 customers, and the AA was fined £4.2 million. The fine was cut from £7 million because the business admitted the breach and settled early.

The CMA's chief executive, Sarah Cardell, put it plainly: a mandatory fee must be "included in the price from the very start".

→ This is called drip pricing: a low price up front, with fees dripped in as you go.

The CMA got these powers when the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act came into force in April 2025. It can now fine a business up to 10% of its global turnover. In its update of 14 October 2026, the CMA said it had settled 7 of its 8 first online pricing cases, and that new drip pricing cases are under way.

Does this apply to a small service business like mine?

Quick Answer: If you sell to consumers, the CMA's price guidance applies to anyone who advertises or sells to them, and its own examples include services such as photography and gym memberships.

The CMA's price transparency guidance (CMA209, published 18 November 2025) covers anyone who sells, advertises or promotes to consumers, from the first advert to the final sale. The core rule is short. In the advert or web page that invites someone to buy, you give the total price, including any charge they cannot avoid, such as VAT or a booking fee.

If you sell only to other businesses, different rules apply. Either way, this post is a guide, not legal advice. If you are unsure, ask a solicitor.

Here is the part most owners miss. The law does not force you to have one fixed price for every job. It asks you to be clear about what the buyer will pay.

What if every job is different and I cannot give one price?

Quick Answer: The CMA allows "from" prices and unit prices, as long as they include mandatory charges and give the buyer enough to work out the total themselves.

The CMA's own summary uses made-to-measure curtains as an example. The advert shows a price per metre, with the delivery charge right below it. The buyer can work out their own total.

That idea works for almost any service. Here are three ways to do it this week.

Use a "from" price. "Kitchen fitting from £X, including VAT." The CMA says a "from" price must include all mandatory charges and must not mislead about what it covers.
Show how the price is built. A day rate, a price per room, a price per square metre. Put the rate and any fixed charges side by side, with the same size text.
Give real ranges with real examples. "Most bathroom refits we quote fall between £X and £Y. Here is what moves a job up or down."

What you should not do: show a low headline number, then add a call-out fee, an admin fee or VAT at the end.

Why would showing my prices win me more of the right clients?

Quick Answer: A clear price filters out buyers who were never a fit and gives the right buyers a reason to trust you before they call.

Think about what your buyer does before they ring you. They compare. They read. More and more, they ask an AI tool. If your page says "call for a quote" and the next business says "from £1,200, here is what is included", which one feels safer?

On-page pricing is signal 3 in our 19 trust signals for exactly that reason. It tells a buyer, and the tools they use, that you have nothing to hide. It also links to signal 17, policy and ethics transparency: clear terms, clear fees, no surprises.

We practise what we teach. Our own pricing page shows what working with us costs: from £2,850 / $3,600 a month to start, and around £5,000 / $6,250 a month for the full programme.

Liyana's Insight: "We can standardise our pricing now, and we can give people specific value and specific outcomes."

A price on its own is just a number. A price with what it includes is a promise.

How do I check my own website this week?

Quick Answer: Open your top service page as if you were a buyer and look for the total price, what it includes, and any fee that only shows up later.

Give yourself twenty minutes.

The first screen test: can a buyer see a price, a "from" price or a rate without scrolling to the bottom?
The surprise test: list every charge a customer could pay. Is each one on the page, or does it only appear on the invoice?
The plain words test: would a friend understand what is included, without asking you?

If you fail one, fix that first. If you want to see how pricing fits with the rest of your site, read our guide to the website trust signal layer .

Want the full checklist? Get the free 19 trust signals briefing and score your own site.

FAQ

Is it illegal not to put prices on my website?

No law says every business must publish a price list. The rule is that when you do advertise a price or invite someone to buy, the price must be the total, with mandatory charges included. If you are unsure how this applies to you, ask a solicitor.

Can I still say "price on request"?

You can, but think about what it costs you. Buyers who cannot find a price may move on to someone who shows one. A "from" price or a typical range keeps your flexibility and still answers the question.

Do I have to include VAT in my prices?

For consumers, the CMA's summary lists taxes such as VAT among the mandatory charges that should normally sit inside the total price. If you sell to businesses, check with your accountant how you should show it.

What about extras the customer chooses?

Optional extras are different from mandatory fees, because the customer can say no. Show the price of each extra before they choose it, and never tick the box for them.