Sen Luján, Rep Goldman Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Consumers and Require Transparency on Food and Grocery Delivery Apps

Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) reintroduced the Promoting Real-time Information on Cost Expenditure (PRICE) Act, legislation designed to provide consumers with more clarity on delivery app pricing. When shopping through a delivery app for meal delivery, groceries, or other products, many companies apply surprise delivery fees and service charges at checkout that significantly inflate the total cost. These practices harm consumers by making it easier to overspend their budgets and virtually impossible to comparison shop while hindering competitive markets. The PRICE Act requires delivery apps to show consumers the total running “all-in” price of their order as items are added to their carts. It also requires that the apps include, prior to checkout, a clear breakdown that prominently displays the ongoing total purchase amount, along with an explanation of each fee. The reintroduction of the PRICE Act comes as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced last week that it is seeking public comment on whether a rule is needed to address unfair or deceptive fee practices associated with the services provided by online food and grocery delivery platforms nationwide.