Consumer Protection (Affordability Measures) Amendment Act, 2026
Chamber
Alberta
Stage
Introduced
This Alberta bill caps ATM fees, bans ticket transfer fees, requires easy online cancellation, and prohibits hidden price markups.
Key Changes
- Caps private ATM fees at the lesser of $5 or 5% of the withdrawal amount
- Bans secondary ticket sellers from charging fees to transfer tickets to buyers
- Makes it an unfair practice for suppliers to charge more than their advertised price (with exceptions for taxes and actual delivery costs)
- Requires online businesses selling ongoing subscription-type services to provide an easy cancellation mechanism on their website
- Adds violations of the new ATM fee cap, online cancellation requirement, and ticket transfer fee ban to the list of offences under the Act
- New rules take effect 3 months after Royal Assent
Gotchas
- The ATM fee cap does not apply to fees charged by banks, credit unions, treasury branches, acquirers, or payment card network operators — only the private ATM owner's fee is capped, so consumers may still face additional fees from their own bank on top of this
- The Minister can exempt certain classes of online contracts from the cancellation requirement through regulation, meaning the scope of that protection could be narrowed without a new vote in the legislature
- The bill does not define what counts as an 'ongoing consumer transaction' for the online cancellation rules, which could create uncertainty about which subscriptions or services are covered
- The ticket transfer fee ban applies to secondary sellers and platforms, but it is unclear how this interacts with fees charged by original (primary) ticket sellers
- Violations of the new provisions are classified as offences under the existing Consumer Protection Act, but the bill does not specify new penalty amounts — existing penalty levels in the Act would apply
Who's Affected
- Alberta consumers who use private ATMs (e.g., at convenience stores or bars)
- People who buy or resell event tickets through secondary ticketing platforms
- Consumers with online subscriptions or ongoing digital service contracts
- Private ATM owners and operators
- Secondary ticket sellers and ticketing platform operators
- Online retailers and subscription-based businesses operating in Alberta
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The ATM fee cap does not apply to fees charged by banks, credit unions, treasury branches, acquirers, or payment card network operators — only the private ATM owner's fee is capped, so consumers may still face additional fees from their own bank on top of this
- The Minister can exempt certain classes of online contracts from the cancellation requirement through regulation, meaning the scope of that protection could be narrowed without a new vote in the legislature
- The bill does not define what counts as an 'ongoing consumer transaction' for the online cancellation rules, which could create uncertainty about which subscriptions or services are covered
- The ticket transfer fee ban applies to secondary sellers and platforms, but it is unclear how this interacts with fees charged by original (primary) ticket sellers
- Violations of the new provisions are classified as offences under the existing Consumer Protection Act, but the bill does not specify new penalty amounts — existing penalty levels in the Act would apply
Summary
This Alberta bill makes several changes to the Consumer Protection Act to help people save money on everyday transactions. It targets three main areas: hidden fees at private ATMs, extra charges when reselling event tickets, and surprise price increases at checkout that weren't shown in the original advertised price. It also makes it easier for people to cancel ongoing online subscriptions or contracts by requiring companies to provide a simple cancellation button on their website. The bill was introduced by Member Eremenko and applies to consumers and businesses in Alberta. It is meant to address affordability concerns by cracking down on practices where consumers end up paying more than they expected. The rules come into effect three months after the bill receives Royal Assent. Specifically, private ATM owners cannot charge more than $5 or 5% of the withdrawal amount (whichever is less). Ticket resellers cannot charge a fee just to transfer a ticket to the buyer. Suppliers cannot charge more than the advertised price, except for applicable taxes and actual delivery costs. And any business selling ongoing services online must provide a clear, easy-to-use cancellation option on their website.
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Vibes
0 responses