Total price, before checkout
The core idea running through provincial consumer-protection acts is that a buyer should know the full, real cost before they commit — no surprises sprung at the final click. That means the total price, including shipping, mandatory fees, and taxes, needs to be clear before the customer hands over payment. Drip pricing, where a tempting number balloons once fees appear at the end, is exactly what these rules are aimed at, and regulators and the Competition Bureau have taken a harder line on it. If a subscription renews automatically, the recurring amount and timing have to be obvious too. The safe habit is simple: never let a cost appear for the first time after someone has already decided to buy.
Refunds, delivery, and who you are
Beyond price, buyers are entitled to know the deal they are agreeing to. Spell out your refund, return, and cancellation policy in plain language and put it somewhere they can find it before purchase, not buried after. State realistic delivery timelines — several provinces let a customer cancel and demand a refund if goods do not arrive within a stated or reasonable window. And identify your business properly: a real name, a way to reach a human, and contact details. Anonymous storefronts read as untrustworthy to customers and to regulators alike. This overlaps with CASL, which also requires you to identify yourself clearly in commercial messages.
Making it work on the page
In practice this is a handful of pages and a few habits, not a legal ordeal. A clear refund and shipping policy, honest all-in pricing shown early, visible contact information, and a checkout that confirms exactly what the customer is buying and for how much before they pay. Keep records of what the customer saw and agreed to, because if a dispute arises, that trail is what protects you.
The reassuring news is that everything on this list is also just good, trustworthy selling. Customers abandon carts over hidden fees and vague return policies far more often than they walk away from a fair, transparent one. Building storefronts that are clear about price, terms, and who stands behind them is part of the work I do at Design Menu — and if you sell across the country, remember these rules are provincial, so the strictest standard among your customers is the one worth building to.