Charged More Than MRP in India? Convenience Fees and Hidden Charges Explained

Short answer: a packaged product cannot lawfully be sold above the MRP printed on the pack. Rule 18(2) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 says no retail dealer or other person, including the manufacturer, packer, importer and wholesale dealer, shall sell a commodity in packed form “at a price exceeding the retail sale price thereof”, and the MRP must be inclusive of all taxes. Complain to your State’s Legal Metrology department, call the National Consumer Helpline on 1915, or file a consumer complaint: section 2(6)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 specifically covers a complaint that a trader charged more than the price displayed on the goods or package. A “convenience fee” on a service is a different question, governed by disclosure rules rather than MRP.

General consumer information, not legal advice. The Rules, the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (as amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026), the E-Commerce Rules and the Consumer Protection Act were checked against their published text on 13 October 2026.

The MRP rules, in one table

What the penalty is, and what changed in May 2026

The Legal Metrology Act, 2009 is enforced by the legal metrology officers, Controllers and Directors it provides for; at State level the office you will deal with is the Controller of Legal Metrology. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (Act 8 of 2026, assented to on 7 April 2026) rewrote the penalty for selling a pre-packaged commodity that does not conform to the declarations required by the Act, in section 36(1). As reported, the Legal Metrology amendments came into force on 1 May 2026. Under the new text, the first offence is met with an improvement notice, a second offence attracts a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh, and for later offences the fine is not less than ₹25 lakh and may extend to ₹50 lakh. The new section 36(1) says it applies to sales “including through digital modes of sale such as e-commerce platforms, online market places” and the electronic service providers facilitating them. Before the amendment the maximum for a first offence was a fine of ₹25,000.

A caution: rule 18(2) is a rule about the price at which a pack may be sold, and the published text does not say which penalty provision an officer applies to a particular overcharge; a State’s compounding schedule may also differ. Cite rule 18(2) and the printed MRP in your complaint, not a penalty figure, and expect the department to decide how to proceed.

Convenience fees, platform fees and other hidden charges

MRP covers packaged goods. A convenience fee, platform fee or handling fee on a ticket, a delivery or a food order is not an MRP question, but the law still cares how it is shown:

• Marketplace sellers and inventory e-commerce entities must display the total price as a single figure with a breakup of all compulsory and voluntary charges (E-Commerce Rules, rule 6(5)(b) and rule 7(1)(e)).
• An e-commerce entity may record your consent to a purchase only through an explicit, affirmative action, never through pre-ticked checkboxes (rule 4(9)), and may not impose cancellation charges unless it bears similar charges when it cancels unilaterally (rule 4(8)).
• Under the CCPA’s Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023, drip pricing (not revealing the full price up front, or adding charges after you are committed) and basket sneaking (adding items or charges without consent) are two of the thirteen banned practices. See the dark patterns guide.
• Making a misleading statement about the price at which goods are ordinarily sold is an unfair trade practice (section 2(47)(i)(i) of the Act).
• The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified on 9 September 2026 and due to come into force on 1 January 2027, add a requirement that an announced price cut shows the prior price, defined as the lowest price in the preceding 30 days. This description comes from law-firm and news summaries of the amendment, not the Gazette text, so check the final wording.

Restaurant “service charge” is a separate story. The CCPA’s guidelines of 4 July 2022 say it cannot be added to the bill by default, and a single judge of the Delhi High Court dismissed the restaurant bodies’ challenge on 28 March 2025. They appealed to a Division Bench, and the latest coverage I found (August 2025) was still at the hearing stage, so check the current status.

What to do when you are overcharged

1. Photograph the pack so the MRP is readable, together with the bill or the payment screen showing what you paid. Ask for a bill if none is offered; not issuing one is itself listed as an unfair trade practice (section 2(47)(vii)). See how to prove a purchase without an invoice.
2. Point it out politely at the counter and ask for the excess back. A written note with the time, date and shop name helps later.
3. Complain to the State Legal Metrology department (the Controller’s office) with the photographs and bill. Look up your State’s department in the regulator directory.
4. Call the National Consumer Helpline: 1915 or 1800 11 4000 (8 AM to 8 PM daily except national holidays), WhatsApp 8800001915, or consumerhelpline.gov.in.
5. For an online order, write to the platform’s grievance officer, who must acknowledge within 48 hours and redress within one month, then use the route in how to get a refund for an online order.
6. For a larger sum or a repeated pattern, file on e-Jagriti within two years (time limit). A District Commission can order the return of the price or charges paid with interest, and compensation (section 39(1)(c) and (d)).

Related in this series: stopping an unwanted auto-debit, fake sale prices and misleading ads and fake products bought online.

Frequently asked questions

Can a shop charge more than the MRP?

No, not for a packaged commodity. Rule 18(2) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 bars any retail dealer or other person from selling a commodity in packed form at a price exceeding the retail sale price.

Can a shop charge less than the MRP?

Yes. Rule 18(2) bars only a price exceeding the MRP, so discounts are lawful, and a reduced MRP may be shown on a sticker that does not cover the printed one (rule 6(3) proviso). What is not allowed is altering or obliterating the printed price on the package (rule 18(5)).

Does the MRP include GST?

Yes. Rule 2(m) defines the retail sale price as the maximum price at which the commodity may be sold to the consumer, inclusive of all taxes, and the pack must say “inclusive of all taxes” or “incl. of all taxes”. A shop cannot add tax on top of the MRP.

Is a convenience fee or platform fee legal?

MRP rules do not govern fees on services, but the fee must be disclosed. The E-Commerce Rules require a single total price with a breakup of compulsory and voluntary charges, and charges added only at the payment step can be a listed dark pattern (drip pricing). If a fee was not shown up front, complain to the platform’s grievance officer and the National Consumer Helpline.

What is the penalty for selling above MRP?

The Legal Metrology Act’s section 36(1), as amended with effect from 1 May 2026, provides an improvement notice for a first offence, a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh for the second and a fine of ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh for later ones, for pre-packaged commodities that do not conform to the Act’s declarations. Which provision is used for a specific overcharge is for the department; as a consumer you can also seek a refund of the excess from a consumer commission.

Where do I complain about being overcharged?

To the State Legal Metrology department, the National Consumer Helpline (1915), and, for online orders, the platform’s grievance officer. If the sum is not refunded, file a consumer complaint on e-Jagriti under section 2(6)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, which covers a price in excess of that displayed on the goods or package.