순차공개 가격책정의 규제 방안에 대한 소고 = A study on the Regulation of Drip pricing

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Drip pricing is a type of dark pattern in which a business intentionally displays a low price on the first page of search results for a product, then gradually reveals hidden costs as the customer proceeds to checkout and charges the full amount as the final price. It's a pricing tactic often used in tourism-related industries, such as hospitality, travel, or car rental and leasing services. With the recent surge in e-commerce purchases, there have been an increasing number of cases where businesses have abused the practice of drip pricing through hidden fees and other tactics that harm consumers.
It is important to provide consumers with price-related information on the first screen because once a consumer sees the advertised price and proceeds with the purchase process, it is only at the checkout stage that the full price, including mandatory fees, is revealed. As Korea is developing laws to regulate drip pricing, it is useful to review the laws and practices of other countries to gain insights.
In this article, I will introduce the concept of drip pricing, review foreign laws and cases related to drip pricing practices, and explore ways to regulate drip pricing in Korea.