Ticket resale price caps — Ontario, Ireland, France and the UK
Updated 2026-10-22 · General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change — check official sources linked below.
Some governments limit how much a resold ticket can cost. If you’re buying for an event in one of these places, it helps to know the rules — both to avoid overpaying and to avoid listings that may not be lawful.
Ontario, Canada — in force
Under Ontario’s Ticket Sales Act, 2017, it is illegal to resell a ticket to an Ontario event — or help someone resell it — for more than the original total price paid to the primary seller (base price, fees, service charges and taxes). Resale platforms may add only applicable taxes and their standard fees. Resale listings must show the original total price and an itemised list of fees, and secondary sellers must give buyers a written money-back guarantee. Ontario increased penalties for violations from June 2026.
Source: Ontario — Buying tickets to events
Québec, Canada
Québec’s Consumer Protection Act restricts reselling tickets for shows above the price announced by the producer without the producer’s authorisation.
Source: Office de la protection du consommateur
Ireland — in force
The Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 prohibits selling or advertising tickets above the original sale price for designated events and events at designated venues (venues of 1,000+ capacity can apply to be designated).
Source: Irish Statute Book — Act No. 21 of 2021
France — in force
Under article 313-6-2 of the Code pénal, habitually selling or offering event tickets for resale without the authorisation of the organiser or rights-holder is an offence. Authorised resale platforms do exist for many events.
Source: Légifrance
United Kingdom — proposed
In November 2025 the UK government announced plans to make it illegal to resell tickets for live events above their original cost (including unavoidable fees), to cap resale platform fees, and to limit how many tickets individuals can resell. As of October 2026 a draft bill had been promised but the cap was not yet law. Today, resale listings must show the face value and seat details (Consumer Rights Act 2015), and unauthorised resale of tickets for designated football matches is already a criminal offence.
Source: GOV.UK announcement, 19 November 2025
How SolaceTix handles these rules
- Ontario, Québec, Ireland and France: we hide resale listings priced above the event’s known original price and show how many were hidden. Where we don’t know the original price, we flag resale listings so you can check.
- France and Québec: resale listings carry a reminder to prefer authorised resale.
- UK: we show a short notice about the proposed changes.
This is general information, not legal advice, and laws change. Always check the official source.