Bill 10: New protections for Quebec consumers regarding ticket resale and online subscription renewals

In recent years, the online resale of event tickets has generated significant media coverage in Quebec. In response, on December 2, 2025, the Government of Quebec introduced Bill No. 10, An Act to protect consumers against abusive practices in ticket reselling and online subscription renewal, which was assented to on June 12, 2026 (Bill 10). As its title suggests, Bill 10 aims to establish, within the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and the Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act (RCPA), new protections for consumers against certain ticket resale practices and with regard to certain practices related to sequential performance contracts. Bill 10 also introduces other measures, namely  in terms of freedom of expression and the regulation of assistance dogs, which are not covered in this article.

Obligations Regarding Ticket Resale

Among the key measures introduced with respect to the resale of event tickets, we find:

Transparency

Anyone who operates a digital platform dedicated to reselling tickets must inform consumers as soon as  they accesses the platform, in a prominent and intelligible manner, that it is a ticket resale platform and that tickets may be available at a lower price from the vendor authorized by the event’s producer.

Difference between tickets for sale and tickets for resale

When the platform offers both tickets for sale and for resale, the consumer must be informed, at the same time and in the same manner, that certain tickets available on the platform are resale tickets.

Required information for ticket resale

For any resale, the reseller must previously and expressly inform the consumer of the identity of the vendor authorized by the event’s producer of the possibility that tickets may be available from that vendor, and of the price announced by that vendor. The reseller must also indicate that the ticket is being resold, specify the location or seat the ticket entitles the holder to occupy, where applicable, as well as the name of the ticket’s last owner.

It should be noted that these obligations already existed under the CPA, but were reformulated, expanded, and clarified by Bill 10. In particular, the obligation to inform consumers now applies to all ticket resales, rather than only when the resale price is above the price announced by the vendor authorized to sell the tickets. The name of the ticket’s last owner must now be disclosed, thereby adding a new transparency requirement regarding the ticket's provenance. Additionally, it is worth noting that, since 2018, the resale of tickets obtained through the use of software enabling the purchase of tickets by circumventing a security measure or control system put in place by the event’s producer or by the authorized seller, namely through the use of “ticket bots,” is prohibited.

Framework governing resale prices

The resale price charged for a ticket may not be higher than the price announced by the vendor authorized by the producer of the event unless three (3) cumulative conditions are met:

1. The prior consent of the producer and of the presenter of the event to the resale of the ticket at a higher price was obtained in writing;
2. The ticket is resold in compliance with the agreement entered into with the producer and the presenter of the event; and
3. The maximum resale price of the ticket agreed to by the producer of the event has been expressly brought to the attention of the consumer before the resale.

It should be noted that these obligations already existed under the CPA, but were reformulated, expanded, and clarified by Bill 10. In particular, it is now provided that the written consent and the agreement must involve not only the producer, but also, where applicable, the presenter of the event.

Cancellation or modification of the event

In case of the cancellation of the event or of any modification to its schedule or location, the producer of an event must, as soon as possible, inform the authorized vendor and the reseller with whom the producer has entered into an agreement for the resale of tickets. This information must also be communicated to the consumer by anyone who sells or resells a ticket as soon as possible.

Breakdown of fees charged

The consumer must be informed, prior to the resale of a ticket, of the breakdown of the ticket’s total price, in a prominent and intelligible manner.

It should be noted that it had been contemplated to prohibit fees for the transfer of event tickets, but that this prohibition was ultimately not included in the final version of Bill 10.

Obligations regarding contracts involving sequential performance

Bill 10 also proposes a framework governing practices related to contracts involving sequential performance, summarized below:

"Unsubscribe” button

The merchant who enters into an online contract involving sequential performance that the consumer may terminate without cause must make an accessible and readily identifiable online button available to the consumer that allows the consumer to easily exercise the right to terminate the contract.

Notice of a price increase

When a subscription transitions from a free period or a reduced price to a higher price, the merchant is required to send the consumer, between 2 and 10 days before the end of the relevant period, a written notice drafted clearly and legibly indicating the end date of the free or reduced-rate period, and the price that will apply going forward.

Exigible fees

With respect to sequential performance contracts provided remotely, such as telephone or cable television contracts, the merchant must also clearly and legibly indicate, in the immediate proximity to the periodic payment amounts, the amount of any fees charged on a non-periodic basis. Where the periodic payment amounts are announced verbally, the non-periodic fees must be mentioned immediately after this announcement.

Some of these obligations already came into force on June 12, 2026, while others will come into force on September 12, 2026. In addition, violations of these new obligations may, where applicable, give rise to fines or monetary administrative penalties.

If you have any questions regarding the applicability of the CPA, its regulations, or your obligations under consumer protection law, please do not hesitate to contact us.