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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The Competition Tribunal found that Cineplex used drip pricing by adding a mandatory $1.50 online booking fee without clearly presenting the full ticket price upfront. It ordered Cineplex to pay more than $38.9 million plus legal costs. The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Cineplex’s appeal in January 2026, but Cineplex later sought leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, and the penalty was stayed pending that decision.
What the Tribunal found
On September 23, 2024, the Competition Bureau announced that the Competition Tribunal had found Cineplex engaged in drip pricing through a mandatory $1.50 online booking fee. The Bureau said the Tribunal found Cineplex’s website and mobile app presented contradictory and incomplete information on the tickets page, misleading consumers about the price they would pay. Competition Bureau announcement, September 23, 2024.
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The Tribunal ordered Cineplex to pay more than $38.9 million in financial penalties, plus legal costs. The Bureau said the penalty equalled the amount Cineplex collected through the booking fee from its introduction in June 2022 through December 2023. This is the remedy ordered in the case; the available filings do not say that Cineplex has paid it.
Why the fee was treated as drip pricing
The Competition Bureau describes drip pricing as advertising a low price to attract customers and then adding mandatory fees that make that advertised price unattainable. Under the Competition Act, such pricing is prohibited unless the additional fixed charge or fee is imposed by government on purchasers, such as sales tax. Amendments explicitly recognizing drip pricing came into force on June 24, 2022. Competition Bureau: Drip pricing.
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The dispute was about how Cineplex presented the fee, not whether it could charge an online booking fee at all: Cineplex’s 2026 annual information form says the Bureau did not contest its right to charge one. Competition Bureau appeal announcement, January 23, 2026.
How the case reached the Tribunal
The Bureau filed its application on May 18, 2023. It alleged that many customers could not buy tickets on Cineplex’s website or app at the advertised price because the company added a mandatory $1.50 booking fee. The Bureau asked for an order stopping the advertising, a financial penalty and restitution for affected consumers. Those were allegations and requested remedies at that stage; the Tribunal’s finding came later. Competition Bureau announcement, May 18, 2023.
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Appeal and current status
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Cineplex’s appeal with costs on January 21, 2026, according to the Competition Bureau’s January 23 announcement. Cineplex’s 2026 annual information form reports that it filed an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada on March 23, 2026. It also reports that on March 10, 2026, with the Bureau’s consent, the Federal Court of Appeal granted a stay of the administrative monetary penalty pending the Supreme Court’s decision on leave. The filing does not establish that the Supreme Court has decided whether to hear the appeal or resolved the case.
The Bureau’s case register continues to list the matter as ongoing and summarizes the Federal Court of Appeal outcome. Competition Bureau cases and outcomes register.
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What the ruling means for ticket prices
The case underscores the distinction between charging a fee and presenting a price that consumers can actually obtain. The Bureau’s position is that mandatory charges should be included in the advertised price rather than revealed later in the purchase process, unless they fall within the government-imposed fee exception. The Tribunal’s finding concerned the information Cineplex gave consumers about its ticket prices; it does not establish the prevalence of drip pricing across other businesses.
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- Regal Entertainment Group is the largest motion picture exhibitor in the world and includes all Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres and United Artists Theatres.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
